tender

ten·der¹ (t

adj. ten·der·er, ten·der·est

a. Easily crushed or bruised; fragile: a tender petal.

b. Easily chewed or cut: tender beef.

2. Young and vulnerable: of tender age.

3. Frail; delicate.

4. Sensitive to frost or severe cold; not hardy: tender green shoots.

a. Easily hurt; sensitive: tender skin.

b. Painful; sore: a tender tooth.

a. Considerate and protective; solicitous: a tender mother; his tender concern.

b. Characterized by or expressing gentle emotions; loving: a tender glance; a tender ballad.

c. Given to sympathy or sentimentality; soft: a tender heart.

7. Nautical Likely to heel easily under sail; crank.

tr.v. ten·dered, ten·der·ing, ten·ders

1. To make tender.

2. Archaic To treat with tender regard.

[Middle English, from Old French tendre, from Latin tener; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]

tender·ly adv.

tender·ness n.

ten·der² (t

1. A formal offer, as:

a. Law An offer of money or service in payment of an obligation.

b. A written offer to contract goods or services at a specified cost or rate; a bid.

2. Something, especially money, offered in payment.

tr.v. ten·dered, ten·der·ing, ten·ders

To offer formally: tender a letter of resignation. See Synonyms at offer.

[From French tendre, to offer, from Old French, from Latin tendere, to hold forth, extend; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]

tender·er n.

tender ¹

Adjective

1. (of cooked food) having softened and become easy to chew or cut

2. gentle and kind: tender loving care

3. vulnerable or sensitive: at the tender age of 9

4. painful when touched: his wrist was swollen and tender [Old French tendre]

tenderly adv
tenderness n

tender ²

Verb

1. to present or offer: he tendered his resignation

2. to make a formal offer or estimate for a job or contract: contractors tendering for government work

Noun

a formal offer to supply specified goods or services at a stated cost or rate: the government invited tenders to run television and radio services [Latin tendere to extend]

tenderer n
tendering n

tender ³

Noun

1. a small boat that brings supplies to larger vessels in a port

2. a wagon attached to the rear of a steam locomotive that carries the fuel and water [variant of attender]

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	tender - something that can be used as an official medium of payment legal tender, stamp medium of exchange, monetary system - anything that is generally accepted as a standard of value and a measure of wealth in a particular country or region food stamp - a government-issued stamp that can be used in exchange for food
	2.	tender - someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another attendant, attender companion - one paid to accompany or assist or live with another assistant, helper, help, supporter - a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose; "my invaluable assistant"; "they hired additional help to finish the work" baggageman - an attendant who takes care of baggage batman - an orderly assigned to serve a British military officer bellboy, bellhop, bellman - someone employed as an errand boy and luggage carrier around hotels bridesmaid, maid of honor - an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding caddie, golf caddie - an attendant who carries the golf clubs for a player checker - an attendant who checks coats or baggage courtier - an attendant at the court of a sovereign cupbearer - the attendant (usually an officer of a nobleman's household) whose duty is to fill and serve cups of wine equerry - a personal attendant of the British royal family escort - an attendant who is employed to accompany someone esquire - (Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood famulus - a close attendant (as to a scholar) gillie - a young male attendant on a Scottish Highlander chief groomsman - a male attendant of the bridegroom at a wedding lifeguard, lifesaver - an attendant employed at a beach or pool to protect swimmers from accidents linkboy, linkman - (formerly) an attendant hired to carry a torch for pedestrians in dark streets loader - an attendant who loads guns for someone shooting game matron of honor - a married woman serving as the attendant to the bride at a wedding hospital attendant, orderly - a male hospital attendant who has general duties that do not involve the medical treatment of patients orderly - a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer; "the orderly laid out the general's uniform" varlet, page - in medieval times a youth acting as a knight's attendant as the first stage in training for knighthood page - a youthful attendant at official functions or ceremonies such as legislative functions and weddings racker - an attendant who puts pool or billiard balls into a rack rocker - an attendant who rocks a child in a cradle second - the official attendant of a contestant in a duel or boxing match servitor - someone who performs the duties of an attendant for someone else squire - young nobleman attendant on a knight gallant, squire - a man who attends or escorts a woman flight attendant, steward - an attendant on an airplane litter-bearer, stretcher-bearer - one who helps carry a stretcher trainbearer - one who holds up the train of a gown or robe on a ceremonial occasion arouser, rouser, waker - someone who rouses others from sleep
	3.	tender - a formal proposal to buy at a specified price bid offering, offer - something offered (as a proposal or bid); "noteworthy new offerings for investors included several index funds" overbid - a bid that is higher than preceding bids buyout bid - a bid to buy all of a person's holdings
	4.	tender - car attached to a locomotive to carry fuel and water railcar, railroad car, railway car, car - a wheeled vehicle adapted to the rails of railroad; "three cars had jumped the rails"
	5.	tender - a boat for communication between ship and shore pinnace, ship's boat, cutter boat - a small vessel for travel on water gig - tender that is a light ship's boat; often for personal use of captain
	6.	tender - ship that usually provides supplies to other ships supply ship ship - a vessel that carries passengers or freight
Verb	1.	tender - offer or present for acceptance gift, present, give - give as a present; make a gift of; "What will you give her for her birthday?"
	2.	tender - propose a payment; "The Swiss dealer offered $2 million for the painting" bid, offer auction sale, vendue, auction - the public sale of something to the highest bidder by-bid - bid on behalf of someone else subscribe - offer to buy, as of stocks and shares; "The broker subscribed 500 shares" overbid - bid more than the object is worth underbid - bid too low outbid - bid higher than others underbid - bid lower than a competing bidder
	3.	tender - make a tender of; in legal settlements proffer, offer - present for acceptance or rejection; "She offered us all a cold drink"
	4.	tender - make tender or more tender as by marinating, pounding, or applying a tenderizer; "tenderize meat" tenderise, tenderize alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
Adj.	1.	tender - given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality; "a tender heart"; "a tender smile"; "tender loving care"; "tender memories"; "a tender mother" soft - compassionate and kind; conciliatory; "he was soft on his children" tough - not given to gentleness or sentimentality; "a tough character"
	2.	tender - hurting; "the tender spot on his jaw" sore, sensitive, raw painful - causing physical or psychological pain; "worked with painful slowness"
	3.	tender - young and immature; "at a tender age" young, immature - (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth; "young people"
	4.	tender - having or displaying warmth or affection; "affectionate children"; "a fond embrace"; "fond of his nephew"; "a tender glance"; "a warm embrace" affectionate, fond, lovesome, warm loving - feeling or showing love and affection; "loving parents"; "loving glances"
	5.	tender - easy to cut or chew; "tender beef" comestible, eatable, edible - suitable for use as food tough - resistant to cutting or chewing
	6.	tender - physically untoughened; "tender feet" untoughened weak - wanting in physical strength; "a weak pillar" toughened, tough - physically toughened; "the tough bottoms of his feet"
	7.	tender - (used of boats) inclined to heel over easily under sail crank, cranky, tippy boat - a small vessel for travel on water unstable - lacking stability or fixity or firmness; "unstable political conditions"; "the tower proved to be unstable in the high wind"; "an unstable world economy"
	8.	tender - (of plants) not hardy; easily killed by adverse growing condition; "tender green shoots" plant life, flora, plant - (botany) a living organism lacking the power of locomotion delicate - exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavor"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly"