tender

1 of 7

adjective

ten·​der ˈten-dər How to pronounce tender (audio)
1
: marked by, responding to, or expressing the softer emotions : fond, loving
a tender lover
2
a
: showing care : considerate, solicitous
tender regard
b
: highly susceptible to impressions or emotions : impressionable
a tender conscience
3
a
: easily chewed : succulent
b
: having a soft or yielding texture : easily broken, cut, or damaged : delicate, fragile
tender feet
4
a
: sensitive to touch or palpation
the bruise was still tender
b
: sensitive to injury or insult : touchy
tender pride
c
: demanding careful and sensitive handling : ticklish
a tender situation
d
of a boat : easily tipped by an external force
5
a
: physically weak : not able to endure hardship
b
: immature, young
children of tender age
c
: incapable of resisting cold : not hardy
tender perennials
6
a
: appropriate or conducive to a delicate or sensitive constitution or character : gentle, mild
tender breeding
tender irony
b
: delicate or soft in quality or tone
never before heard the piano sound so tenderElva S. Daniels
7
obsolete : dear, precious
tenderly adverb

tender

2 of 7

verb (1)

tendered; tendering ˈten-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce tender (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to present for acceptance : offer
tendered my resignation
2
: to make a tender of

intransitive verb

: to make a bid or tender

tender

3 of 7

noun (1)

often attributive
1
: an unconditional offer of money or service in satisfaction of a debt or obligation made to save a penalty or forfeiture for nonpayment or nonperformance
2
: an offer or proposal made for acceptance: such as
a
: an offer of a bid for a contract
3
: something that may be offered in payment
specifically : money

tender

4 of 7

noun (2)

: an often breaded strip of usually breast meat
chicken tenders
also : the tenderloin of a chicken

tender

5 of 7

noun (3)

tend·​er ˈten-dər How to pronounce tender (audio)
: one that tends: such as
a(1)
: a ship employed to attend other ships (as to supply provisions)
(2)
: a boat for communication or transportation between shore and a larger ship
(3)
: a warship that provides logistic support
b
: a car attached to a steam locomotive for carrying a supply of fuel and water

tender

6 of 7

verb (2)

tendered; tendering ˈten-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce tender (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to make tender : soften, weaken
2
archaic : to regard or treat with tenderness

intransitive verb

: to become tender

tender

7 of 7

noun (4)

obsolete

Examples of tender in a Sentence

Adjective He gave her a tender look. She was tender and loving with her new child. Cook the pasta until it is just tender. Her wrist was swollen and tender.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Cook until the potatoes are tender, adding in garlic, pepper, and salt. Emily Nabors Hall, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024 Make this recipe for Irish stew for St. Patrick's Day (or any cozy day) and you'll be rewarded with a comforting bowl of tender meat and vegetables. Erin Hooker, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2024 The next day, Ruba said that her back felt tender, because the debris had hit her with such force. Claire Porter Robbins, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2024 The smaller leaves will be more tender and sweeter or less bitter, a perfect substitution for kale in salads. Adrienne Cheatham, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 Cook until the rice is tender, but still al dente, about 20 minutes. Stir in a cup of parmesan cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter and parsley and remove the pan from the heat. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 Roast for another 25 to 28 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are browned and tender. Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 The meatloaf was tender but required a fork to eat — a godsend after all the texturally indistinguishable mousse and pâté — and the gravy boldly sang notes of smoke and spice. The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024 Creativity is a tender thing, no matter how much chutzpah surrounds it. Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
The team this week placed a second-round tender on left tackle Alaric Jackson and a right-of-first-refusal tender on outside linebacker Micahel Hoecht, both restricted free agents. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 OpenAI is currently valued at $80 billion following a February 2024 share tender first reported by The New York Times. Chris Stokel-Walker, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 Further forward lie two generous VIP cabins with fold-out terraces, a galley, and a garage capable of storing two tenders. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024 The renovation also added a two-ship-capacity pier to the island, so guests can simply walk off their ship and onto the island rather than take a tender. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 28 Feb. 2024 The whole thing is topped with a crackling, golden tuile made from chicken drippings—a nod to the crisp noodles, the tender meat, both and neither. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2024 The bloom of spices sends the lighter parts of her consciousness to these tender moments of the past, connecting generations in the way that only this combination can. Jordan P. Hickey, Longreads, 22 Feb. 2024 Sweet, tender, and warm, this tasty breakfast bread can serve up to a dozen and will be your new favorite treat. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2024 Sandwiches from Inspo by Chef Kelsey Murphy will be at Sections 118 and 132 Wings and tenders from Taste of Innova are at Section 156. The Indianapolis Star, 16 Feb. 2024
Verb
In the winter, tender bonsai need to go indoors or in a greenhouse; hardy plants can stay outdoors as long as they're protected from drying wind and direct sun. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024 Cod, shrimp, crab cake, chicken tenders dinners with coleslaw or applesauce, hush puppies or bread, and dessert. The Enquirer, 14 Feb. 2024 In an email to staff Friday, obtained by CNN, WWE President Nick Khan said simply that McMahon tendered his resignation from his executive chairmanship and board member positions. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2024 Glover and Erskine—two hot nerds with comedy roots—render their characters believably prickly, awkward, and tender by turns. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 Get The Recipe 17 of 42 Lemon Raspberry Cake Brimming with elegance, this Lemon Raspberry Cake is light and tender with a twist of lemon zest. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 1 Feb. 2024 Cook on a medium-hot grill until marked all over and tender, then place on a serving platter. Julia Turshen, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 To top it off, the garage has enough space for a 23-foot tender, a crew tender, and a full arsenal of water toys. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2024 The Twins tendered all of them contracts in November. Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tender.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English tendre, tender, borrowed from Anglo-French tendre, going back to Latin tener "soft, delicate (of persons or parts of the body), immature, yielding easily, sensitive," probably by metathesis from *terenos or *terunos, going back to Indo-European, whence also Greek térēn "soft, tender," Sanskrit taruṇa- "young, tender, fresh," Avestan tauruna- "young," (as noun) "boy"

Note: Macrobius (early 5th century), in his Saturnalia, quotes Favorinus (ca. 80-160 a.d.) as claiming that terenus meant mollis ("soft") in Sabine; this form would support the hypothesis of metathesis in Latin tener. Ernout and Meillet (Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine, 4th edition, Paris, 1979) reject this etymology without comment, citing instead a possible connection with the ten- of tenēre, tendere, tenuis (see tenant entry 1, tender entry 3, thin entry 1).

Verb (1)

Middle English tendren, probably in part derivative of tendur tender entry 3, in part borrowed from its source, Anglo-French tendre

Note: The apparent use of the Anglo-French nominalized infinitive as an inflected verb in Middle English is paralleled by render entry 2. Cf. tend entry 1, a more regular borrowing of the stem of the same verb, in a different sense.

Noun (1)

Middle English tendur "grant of a license," borrowed from Anglo-French tendre "offer, offer in satisfaction of a debt," noun derivative from infinitive of tendre "to stretch, hold out, offer (a suit, plea, money), grant," going back to Latin tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out, direct (one's course), aim (at a purpose)," going back to Indo-European *ten- "stretch, extend" + *-d- (or *-dh-), suffixal extension of uncertain origin — more at tenant entry 1

Note: See note at tenant entry 1. The original past participle of tendere is tentus, which would appear to continue an Indo-European verbal adjective *tn̥-tos, whence also Greek tatós, derived directly from the base *ten- rather than from *tend-. The form tentus was largely replaced by tensus, presumably from *tend-tos, a regular derivative of the new formation tend-.

Noun (2)

probably short for tenderloin

Noun (3)

tend entry 2 + -er entry 2

Verb (2)

Middle English tendren "to become tender, care for, be concerned about," derivative of tender, tendre tender entry 1

Noun (4)

probably noun derivative of tender entry 1 or of tender entry 6 in sense "to be solicitous of"

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun (1)

circa 1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1955, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1675, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (4)

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tender was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near tender

Cite this Entry

“Tender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tender. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tender

1 of 5 adjective
ten·​der ˈten-dər How to pronounce tender (audio)
1
: having a soft or yielding quality
tender steak
2
a
: physically weak : delicate
a tender plant
b
: immature, young
children of tender years
3
: loving, affectionate
a tender look
4
: showing care : considerate
5
: not harsh or stern : gentle, mild
tender irony
6
: sensitive to touch : very easily hurt
a tender bruise
7
: demanding careful and sensitive handling
a tender subject
tenderly adverb
tenderness noun

tender

2 of 5 verb
tendered; tendering
-d(ə-)riŋ
1
: to offer in payment
2
: to present for acceptance
tendered my resignation

tender

3 of 5 noun
1
: an offer of money in payment of a debt
2
: an offer made for acceptance
especially : a bid for a contract
3
: something that may by law be offered in payment
especially : money

tender

4 of 5 noun
tend·​er
ˈten-dər
: one that tends or takes care: as
a
: a ship used to attend other ships (as to supply food)
b
: a boat that carries passengers or freight between shore and a larger ship
c
: a car attached to a locomotive for carrying fuel and water

tender

5 of 5 noun
: an often breaded strip of usually breast meat
chicken tenders
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English tender "tender, fragile," from early French tendre (same meaning), from Latin tener "having a soft yielding texture, tender, young"

Verb

Middle English tendren "to offer in payment," from early French tendre "to stretch out, offer," from Latin tendere "to stretch" — related to tense entry 2

Noun

from tend "to look after" and -er, noun suffix

Noun

probably short for tenderloin

Medical Definition

tender

adjective
ten·​der ˈten-dər How to pronounce tender (audio)
: sensitive to touch or palpation
tender skin
a tender palpable kidney
tenderness noun

Legal Definition

tender

1 of 2 noun
ten·​der
1
a
: an act or instance of tendering
b
: an unconditional offer of payment or performance (as in discharge of an obligation) that is coupled with a manifestation of willingness and ability to follow through (as by producing a check)
c
: tender of delivery
sufficient tender
2
: something offered in payment or performance
specifically : money
the proper amount of tender required
see also legal tender

tender

2 of 2 verb

transitive verb

1
a
: to make a tender of
tender goods
tender delivery
tender payment
tender performance
b
: to offer as an amount in settlement of a claim by an injured party against an insured

Note: An insurance company might be obligated to tender the limits of a policy to an injured party when a higher amount is likely to be awarded at trial.

2
: to extend for acceptance or consideration (as in proof of something) especially in a proceeding
tender a plea to the court
tender an issue
3
: to offer for sale
tender shares

intransitive verb

: to offer securities for sale
make an informed decision to tender
Etymology

Verb

Anglo-French tendre to offer, propose for acceptance, literally, to stretch, hold out, from Old French, from Latin tendere

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