Etymology : Middle English, from Old French tendre, from Latin tener; perhaps akin to Latin tenuis thin, slight; more at THIN
Pronunciation : ten-d&r
Function : adjective
Date : 13th century
1. bid, offer; overseer, supervisor; car attached to a locomotive for carrying fuel and water. offer formally, suggest, make a suggestion. gentle, soft, delicate. tender\tend"er\ , n. [from tend to attend. cf. attender.].
2. one who tends; one who takes care of any person or thing; a nurse.
3. (naut.) a vessel employed to attend other vessels, to supply them with provisions and other stores, to convey intelligence, or the like.
4. a car attached to a locomotive, for carrying a supply of fuel and water.tender \ten"der\, a. [compar. tenderer ; superl. tenderest.] [f. tendre, l. tener; probably akin to tenuis thin. see:
thin.].
5. easily impressed, broken, bruised, or injured; not firm or hard; delicate; as, tender plants; tender flesh; tender fruit.
6. sensible to impression and pain; easily pained. our bodies are not naturally more tender than our faces.
7. physically weak; not hardly or able to endure hardship; immature; effeminate. the tender and delicate woman among you. xxviii.
8. 4. susceptible of the softer passions, as love, compassion, kindness; compassionate; pitiful; anxious for another's good; easily excited to pity, forgiveness, or favor; sympathetic. the lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. --james v.
9. i am choleric by my nature, and tender by my temper.
10. exciting kind concern; dear; precious. i love valentine, whose life's as tender to me as my soul!.
11. careful to save inviolate, or not to injure; -- with of. "tender of property." the civil authority should be tender of the honor of god and religion.
12. unwilling to cause pain; gentle; mild. you, that are thus so tender o'er his follies, will never do him good.
13. adapted to excite feeling or sympathy; expressive of the softer passions; pathetic; as, tender expressions; tender expostulations; a tender strain.
14. apt to give pain; causing grief or pain; delicate; as, a tender subject. "things that are tender and unpleasing.".
15. (naut.) heeling over too easily when under sail; -- said of a vessel.note: tender is sometimes used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, tender-footed, tender-looking, tender-minded, tender-mouthed, and the like.
16. One who tends; one who takes care of any person or thing; a nurse.
17. A vessel employed to attend other vessels, to supply them with provisions and other stores, to convey intelligence, or the like.
18. A car attached to a locomotive, for carrying a supply of fuel and water.
19. To offer in payment or satisfaction of a demand, in order to save a penalty or forfeiture; as, to tender the amount of rent or debt.
20. To offer in words; to present for acceptance.
21. An offer, either of money to pay a debt, or of service to be performed, in order to save a penalty or forfeiture, which would be incurred by nonpayment or nonperformance; as, the tender of rent due, or of the amount of a note, with interest.
22. Any offer or proposal made for acceptance; as, a tender of a loan, of service, or of friendship; a tender of a bid for a contract.
23. The thing offered; especially, money offered in payment of an obligation.
24. Easily impressed, broken, bruised, or injured; not firm or hard; delicate; as, tender plants; tender flesh; tender fruit.
25. Sensible to impression and pain; easily pained.
26. Physically weak; not hardly or able to endure hardship; immature; effeminate.
27. Susceptible of the softer passions, as love, compassion, kindness; compassionate; pitiful; anxious for another's good; easily excited to pity, forgiveness, or favor; sympathetic.
28. Exciting kind concern; dear; precious.
29. Careful to save inviolate, or not to injure; with of.
30. Unwilling to cause pain; gentle; mild.
31. Adapted to excite feeling or sympathy; expressive of the softer passions; pathetic; as, tender expressions; tender expostulations; a tender strain.
32. Apt to give pain; causing grief or pain; delicate; as, a tender subject.
33. Heeling over too easily when under sail; said of a vessel.
34. Regard; care; kind concern.
35. To have a care of; to be tender toward; hence, to regard; to esteem; to value. ship that usually provides supplies to other ships a boat for communication between ship and shore car attached to a locomotive to carry fuel and water something used as an official medium of payment make tender or more tender as by marinating, pounding, or applying a tenderizer; "tenderize meat" make a tender of; in legal settlements offer or present for acceptance not hardy; easily killed by adverse growing condition; "tender green shoots" susceptible to physical or emotional injury; "at a tender age" easy to cut or chew; "tender beef" physically untoughened; "tender feet" given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality; "a tender heart"; "a tender smile"; "tender loving care"; "tender memories"; "a tender mother".
36. tender. tender. rail. tender (coupled to a locomotive).
37. railways tender coupled to a locomotive.