adj. ten·der·er, ten·der·est 1. 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. 5. a. Easily hurt; sensitive: tender skin. b. Painful; sore: a tender tooth. 6. 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 To make tender. n. A strip of meat, usually chicken, often breaded, deep-fried, and served with a sauce. [Middle English, from Old French tendre, from Latin tener; see ten- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots. N., possibly short for TENDERLOIN.] tender·ly adv. tender·ness n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
n. 1. A formal offer, as: a. Law An offer to pay the amount due under a debt or 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 1. To offer formally: tender a letter of resignation. 2. Law To offer (payment or performance) pursuant to an obligation. [From French tendre, to offer, from Old French, from Latin tendere, to hold forth, extend; see ten- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] tender·er n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.