Tender

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: ten=der

CIDE DICTIONARY

Tender, n. [From Tend to attend. Cf. Attender.].

•  One who tends; one who takes care of any person or thing; a nurse.  [1913 Webster]
•  A vessel employed to attend other vessels, to supply them with provisions and other stores, to convey intelligence, or the like.  [1913 Webster]
•  A car attached to a locomotive, for carrying a supply of fuel and water.  [1913 Webster]

Tender, v. t. [F. tendre to stretch, stretch out, reach, L. tendere. See Tend to move.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  To offer in words; to present for acceptance.  [1913 Webster]

  "You see how all conditions, how all minds, . . . tender down
  Their services to Lord Timon."  [1913 Webster]

Tender, n. 

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  " To constitute a legal tender, such money must be offered as the law prescribes. So also the tender must be at the time and place where the rent or debt ought to be paid, and it must be to the full amount due."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "A free, unlimited tender of the gospel."  [1913 Webster]
•  The thing offered; especially, money offered in payment of an obligation.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Legal tender. See under Legal. -- Tender of issue (Law), a form of words in a pleading, by which a party offers to refer the question raised upon it to the appropriate mode of decision. Burrill.

Tender, a. [F. tendre, L. tener; probably akin to tenuis thin. See Thin.].

•  Easily impressed, broken, bruised, or injured; not firm or hard; delicate; as, tender plants; tender flesh; tender fruit.  [1913 Webster]
•  Sensible to impression and pain; easily pained.  [1913 Webster]

  "Our bodies are not naturally more tender than our faces."  [1913 Webster]
•  Physically weak; not hardly or able to endure hardship; immature; effeminate.  [1913 Webster]

  "The tender and delicate woman among you."  [1913 Webster]
•  Susceptible of the softer passions, as love, compassion, kindness; compassionate; pitiful; anxious for another's good; easily excited to pity, forgiveness, or favor; sympathetic.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."  [1913 Webster]

  "I am choleric by my nature, and tender by my temper."  [1913 Webster]
•  Exciting kind concern; dear; precious.  [1913 Webster]

  "I love Valentine,
  Whose life's as tender to me as my soul!"  [1913 Webster]
•  Careful to save inviolate, or not to injure; -- with of.  Burke.  [1913 Webster]

  "The civil authority should be tender of the honor of God and religion."  [1913 Webster]
•  Unwilling to cause pain; gentle; mild.  [1913 Webster]

  "You, that are thus so tender o'er his follies,
  Will never do him good."  [1913 Webster]
•  Adapted to excite feeling or sympathy; expressive of the softer passions; pathetic; as, tender expressions; tender expostulations; a tender strain.  [1913 Webster]
•  Apt to give pain; causing grief or pain; delicate; as, a tender subject.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]
•  Heeling over too easily when under sail; -- said of a vessel.  [1913 Webster]

  " Tender is sometimes used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, tender-footed, tender-looking, tender-minded, tender-mouthed, and the like."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Delicate; effeminate; soft; sensitive; compassionate; kind; humane; merciful; pitiful.

Tender, n. [Cf. F. tendre.].

 Regard; care; kind concern.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Tender, v. t. 

 To have a care of; to be tender toward; hence, to regard; to esteem; to value.  [1913 Webster]
"For first, next after life, he tendered her good."  [1913 Webster]
"Tender yourself more dearly."  [1913 Webster]
"To see a prince in want would move a miser's charity. Our western princes tendered his case, which they counted might be their own."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Tender, adj. (tenderer, tenderest)
1 easily cut or chewed, not tough (tender steak).
2 easily touched or wounded, susceptible to pain or grief (a tender heart; a tender conscience).
3 easily hurt, sensitive (tender skin; a tender place).
4 delicate, fragile (a tender reputation).
5 loving, affectionate, fond (tender parents; wrote tender verses).
6 requiring tact or careful handling, ticklish (a tender subject).
7 (of age) early, immature (of tender years).
8 (usu. foll. by of) solicitous, concerned (tender of his honour).

Idiom

tender-eyed 1 having gentle eyes.
2 weak-eyed. tender-hearted having a tender heart, easily moved by pity etc. tender-heartedness being tender-hearted. tender mercies iron. attention or treatment which is not in the best interests of its recipient. tender spot a subject on which a person is touchy.

Derivative

tenderly adv. tenderness n.

Tender, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. a offer, present (one's services, apologies, resignation, etc.). b offer (money etc.) as payment.
2 intr. (often foll. by for) make a tender for the supply of a thing or the execution of work.
--n. an offer, esp. an offer in writing to execute work or supply goods at a fixed price.

Idiom

plea of tender Law a plea that the defendant has always been ready to satisfy the plaintiff's claim and now brings the sum into court. put out to tender seek tenders in respect of (work etc.).

Derivative

tenderer n.

Tender, n.
1 a person who looks after people or things.
2 a vessel attending a larger one to supply stores, convey passengers or orders, etc.
3 a special truck closely coupled to a steam locomotive to carry fuel, water, etc.

Etymology

ME f. TEND(2) or f. ATTENDER (as ATTEND)

THESAURUS

Tender

Christian, Christlike, Christly, Ganymede, Hebe, Pullman, Pullman car, accepting, accord, aching, administer, adoring, advance, affectionate, afford, agonizing, ailing, airline hostess, airline stewardess, algetic, allergic, allot, allow, amatory, amorous, anaphylactic, angry, attendant, attentive, award, baggage car, batman, bellboy, bellhop, bellman, benevolent, benign, benignant, bestow, bestow on, bid, bills, bleeding, boat, bold, bootblack, boots, boxcar, brotherly, budding, burning, cabin boy, caboose, caddie, callow, car, careful, caring, carriage, cash, cautious, chafed, chair car, charitable, chewable, chore boy, circumspect, clement, coach, coal car, commiserative, communicate, compassionate, compensate, compensation, complaisant, condolent, confer, conjugal, considerate, copyboy, covered waggon, creamy, cupbearer, curious, currency, dainty, dangerous, day coach, deal, deal out, decent, delicate, demonstrative, devoted, dewy, difficult, diner, dinghy, dining car, dish out, dispense, dole, dole out, donate, drawing room, easy, easygoing, eatable, edible, eggshell, emotionable, emotional, empathetic, empathic, errand boy, errand girl, extend, faithful, fee, feeble, feeling, festering, fiery, filial, fit for sea, flat, flatcar, fond, footboy, forbearant, forbearing, forgiving, fork out, fragile, frail, fraternal, galled, gentle, gift, gift with, gig, give, give freely, give out, gloss, gofer, gondola, good, good-natured, goosy, gracious, grant, green, growing, guerdon, hand out, heap, heartfelt, heedful, help to, hold forth, hold out, hostess, human, humane, hurting, husbandly, hyperesthetic, hyperpathic, hypersensitive, immature, impart, impassioned, impressionable, impubic, indemnify, inexperienced, infirm, inflamed, ingenuous, innocent, intact, iridescent, irritable, irritated, issue, itchy, juicy, juvenile, kind, kindhearted, kindly, kindly-disposed, languishing, launch, lavish, lax, lenient, let have, light, local, lovelorn, lovesick, lovesome, loving, luggage van, mail car, mail van, maternal, maudlin, mawkish, mellow, mellowy, melting, merciful, mete, mete out, mild, mindful, minor, moderate, mollified, money, mother-of-pearl, moving, nacreous, naive, nervous, new, new-fledged, nice, nonresistive, nonrigid, offer, office boy, office girl, opalescent, orderly, overrefined, oversensible, oversensitive, overtender, page, painful, palace car, pale, parental, parlor car, passenger car, passible, passionate, pastel, paternal, patient, patinaed, pay, pay by installments, pay on, payment, pearly, pitying, poignant, pose, pour, prefer, prepay, present, presentation, prickly, proffer, proposal, propose, proposition, provocative, purpose, put forward, put up, quiet, railway car, rain, rankling, raw, receptive, recompense, red, reefer, refined, refrigerator car, regardful, remit, remunerate, render, responsive, reward, ripening, romantic, roomette, ruthful, sad, salary, sappy, satisfy, sea-kindly, seaworthy, semigloss, sensible, sensitive, sentimental, serve, set before, shaky, shell out, shower, sickly, simple, skiff, skittish, sleeper, slip, smarting, smoker, smoking car, snow, snug, sober, soft, soft as putty, soft-colored, soft-hued, softened, softhearted, solicitous, somber, soothing, sore, soul-stirring, specie, squire, steward, stewardess, stiff, stirring, stockcar, subdued, submit, subtle, suggest, supersensitive, susceptible, sweet, sympathetic, sympathizing, tactful, tank, tenderhearted, tetchy, thin-skinned, thoughtful, ticklish, tingling, tolerant, touching, touchy, trainbearer, tricky, troublesome, truck, unadult, underage, understanding, undeveloped, unfledged, unformed, uninitiated, unlicked, unmellowed, unripe, unseasoned, unsound, unstable, untrained, unwell, usher, uxorious, van, vehicle, vernal, virginal, vouchsafe, vulnerable, waggon, wagon, warm, warm-hearted, warmhearted, waterproof, watertight, weak, weatherly, whisper-soft, wifely, yeoman, yield, yielding, young, youthful

ROGET THESAURUS

Tender

Smallness

N smallness, littleness, tenuity, paucity, fewness, meanness, insignificance (unimportance), mediocrity, moderation, small quantity, modicum, trace, hint, minimum, vanishing point, material point, atom, particle, molecule, corpuscle, point, speck, dot, mote, jot, iota, ace, minutiae, details, look, thought, idea, soupcon, dab, dight, whit, tittle, shade, shadow, spark, scintilla, gleam, touch, cast, grain, scruple, granule, globule, minim, sup, sip, sop, spice, drop, droplet, sprinkling, dash, morceau, screed, smack, tinge, tincture, inch, patch, scantling, tatter, cantlet, flitter, gobbet, mite, bit, morsel, crumb, seed, fritter, shive, snip, snippet, snick, snack, snatch, slip, scrag, chip, chipping, shiver, sliver, driblet, clipping, paring, shaving, hair, nutshell, thimbleful, spoonful, handful, capful, mouthful, fragment, fraction, drop in the ocean, animalcule, trifle, mere nothing, next to nothing, hardly anything, just enough to swear by, the shadow of a shade, finiteness, finite quantity, small, little, diminutive, minute, fine, inconsiderable, paltry, faint, slender, light, slight, scanty, scant, limited, meager, sparing, few, low, so-so, middling, tolerable, no great shakes, below par, under par, below the mark, at a low ebb, halfway, moderate, modest, tender, subtle, inappreciable, evanescent, infinitesimal, homeopathic, very small, atomic, corpuscular, microscopic, molecular, subatomic, mere, simple, sheer, stark, bare, near run, dull, petty, shallow, stolid, ungifted, unintelligent, to a small extent, on a small scale, a little bit, a wee bit, slightly, imperceptibly, miserably, wretchedly, insufficiently, imperfectly, faintly, passably, pretty well, well enough, partially, in part, in a certain degree, to a certain degree, to a certain extent, comparatively, some, rather in some degree, in some measure, something, somewhat, simply, only, purely, merely, at least, at the least, at most, at the most, ever so little, as little as may be, tant soit peu, in ever so small a degree, thus far, pro tanto, within bounds, in a manner, after a fashion, so to speak, almost, nearly, well-nigh, short of, not quite, all but, near upon, close upon, peu s'en faut, near the mark, within an ace of, within an inch of, on the brink of, scarcely, hardly, barely, only just, no more than, about, thereabouts, somewhere about, nearly, say, be the same, be little more or less, no ways, no way, no wise, not at all, not in the least, not a bit, not a bit of it, not a whit, not a jot, not a shadow, in no wise, in no respect, by no means, by no manner of means, on no account, at no hand, dare pondus idonea fumo, magno conatu magnas nugas, small sands the mountain, moments make the year.

Combatant

N combatant, disputant, controversialist, polemic, litigant, belligerent, competitor, rival, corrival, fighter, assailant, champion, Paladin, mosstrooper, swashbuckler fire eater, duelist, bully, bludgeon man, rough, prize fighter, pugilist, boxer, bruiser, the fancy, gladiator, athlete, wrestler, fighting-cock, game-cock, warrior, soldier, fighting man, Amazon, man at arms, armigerent, campaigner, veteran, swordsman, sabreur, redcoat, military man, Rajput, armed force, troops, soldiery, military forces, sabaoth, the army, standing army, regulars, the line, troops of the line, militia, yeomanry, volunteers, trainband, fencible, auxiliary, bersagliere, brave, garde-nationale, garde-royale, minuteman, auxiliary forces, reserve forces, reserves, posse comitatus, national guard, gendarme, beefeater, guards, guardsman, yeomen of the guard, life guards, household troops, janissary, myrmidon, Mama, Mameluke, spahee, spahi, Cossack, Croat, Pandoz, irregular, guerilla, partisan, condottiere, franctireur, tirailleur, bashi-bazouk, vietminh, vietcong, shining path, contras, huk, hukbalahap, mercenary, soldier of fortune, hired gun, gunfighter, gunslinger, bushwhacker, free lance, companion, Hessian, hit man torpedo, soldier, levy, draught, Landwehr, Landsturm, conscript, recruit, cadet, raw levies, infantry, infantryman, private, private soldier, foot soldier, Tommy Atkins, rank and file, peon, trooper, sepoy, legionnaire, legionary, cannon fodder, food for powder, officer, subaltern, ensign, standard bearer, spearman, pikeman, spear bearer, halberdier, lancer, musketeer, carabineer, rifleman, jager, sharpshooter, yager, skirmisher, grenadier, fusileer, archer, bowman, horse and foot, horse soldier, cavalry, horse, artillery, horse artillery, light horse, voltigeur, uhlan, mounted rifles, dragoon, hussar, light dragoon, heavy dragoon, heavy, cuirassier, Foot Guards, Horse Guards, gunner, cannoneer, bombardier, artilleryman, matross, sapper, sapper and miner, engineer, light infantry, rifles, chasseur, zouave, military train, coolie, army, corps d'armee, host, division, battalia, column, wing, detachment, garrison, flying column, brigade, regiment, corps, battalion, sotnia, squadron, company, platoon, battery, subdivision, section, squad, piquet, picket, guard, rank, file, legion, phalanx, cohort, cloud of skirmishers, war horse, charger, destrier, marine, man-of-war's man, navy, wooden walls, naval forces, fleet, flotilla, armada, squadron, man-of-war, destroyer, submarine, minesweeper, torpedo-boat, torpedo-destroyer, patrol torpedo boat, PT boat, torpedo- catcher, war castle, H, M, S, battleship, battle wagon, dreadnought, line of battle ship, ship of the line, aircraft carrier, carrier, flattop, helicopter carrier, missile platform, missile boat, ironclad, turret ship, ram, monitor, floating battery, first- rate, frigate, sloop of war, corvette, gunboat, bomb vessel, flagship, guard ship, cruiser, armored cruiser, protected cruiser, privateer, tender, store ship, troop ship, transport, catamaran, merchant marine.

Offer

N offer, proffer, presentation, tender, bid, overture, proposal, proposition, motion, invitation, candidature, offering, offering, offered, in the market, for sale, to let, disengaged, on hire.

VB offer, proffer, present, tender, bid, propose, move, make a motion, make advances, start, invite, hold out, place in one's way, put forward, hawk about, offer for sale, press, lay at one's feet, offer oneself, present oneself, volunteer, come forward, be a candidate, stand for, bid for, seek, be at one's service, go a begging, bribe.

Love

N love, fondness, liking, inclination, regard, dilection, admiration, fancy, affection, sympathy, fellow-feeling, tenderness, heart, brotherly love, benevolence, attachment, yearning, eros, tender passion, amour, gyneolatry, gallantry, passion, flame, devotion, fervor, enthusiasm, transport of love, rapture, enchantment, infatuation, adoration, idolatry, Cupid, Venus, myrtle, true lover's knot, love token, love suit, love affair, love tale, love story, the, old story, plighted love, courtship, amourette, free love, maternal love, storge, parental love, young love, puppy love, attractiveness, popularity, favorite, lover, suitor, follower, admirer, adorer, wooer, amoret, beau, sweetheart, inamorato, swain, young man, flame, love, truelove, leman, Lothario, gallant, paramour, amoroso, cavaliere servente, captive, cicisbeo, caro sposo, inamorata, ladylove, idol, darling, duck, Dulcinea, angel, goddess, cara sposa, betrothed, affianced, fiancee, flirt, coquette, amorette, pair of turtledoves, abode of love, agapemone, loving, fond of, taken with, struck with, smitten, bitten, attached to, wedded to, enamored, charmed, in love, love-sick, over head and ears in love, head over heels in love, affectionate, tender, sweet upon, sympathetic, loving, amorous, amatory, fond, erotic, uxorious, ardent, passionate, rapturous, devoted, motherly, loved, beloved well beloved, dearly beloved, dear, precious, darling, pet, little, favorite, popular, congenial, after one's mind, after one's taste, after one's fancy, after one's own heart, to one's mind, to one's taste, to one's fancy, to one's own heart, in one's good graces, dear as the apple of one's eye, nearest to one's heart, lovable, adorable, lovely, sweet, attractive, seductive, winning, charming, engaging, interesting, enchanting, captivating, fascinating, bewitching, amiable, like an angel, amantes amentes, credula res amor est, militat omnis amasius, love conquers all, omnia vincit amor, si vis amari ama, the sweetest joy, the wildest woe.

Pity

N pity, compassion, commiseration, bowels, of compassion, sympathy, fellow-feeling, tenderness, yearning, forbearance, humanity, mercy, clemency, leniency, charity, ruth, long- suffering, melting mood, argumentum ad misericordiam, quarter, grace, locus paenitentiae, sympathizer, advocate, friend, partisan, patron, wellwisher, pitying, pitiful, compassionate, sympathetic, touched, merciful, clement, ruthful, humane, humanitarian, tender, tender hearted, tender as a chicken, soft, soft hearted, unhardened, lenient, exorable, forbearing, melting, weak, Int, for pity's sake!, mercy!, have mercy!, cry you mercy!, God help you!, poor thing!, poor dear!, poor fellow!, woe betide!, quis talia fando temperet a lachrymiss!, one's heart bleeding for, haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco, a fellow feeling makes one wondrous kind, onor di bocca assai giova e poco costa.

Ship

N ship, vessel, sail, craft, bottom, navy, marine, fleet, flotilla, shipping, man of war, transport, tender, storeship, merchant ship, merchantman, packet, liner, whaler, slaver, collier, coaster, lighter, fishing boat, pilot boat, trawler, hulk, yacht, baggala, floating hotel, floating palace, ocean greyhound, ship, bark, barque, brig, snow, hermaphrodite brig, brigantine, barkantine, schooner, topsail schooner, for and aft schooner, three masted schooner, chasse-maree, sloop, cutter, corvette, clipper, foist, yawl, dandy, ketch, smack, lugger, barge, hoy, cat, buss, sailer, sailing vessel, windjammer, steamer, steamboat, steamship, liner, ocean liner, cruiseship, ship of the line, mail steamer, paddle steamer, screw steamer, tug, line of steamers, destroyer, cruiser, frigate, landing ship, LST, aircraft carrier, carrier, flattop, nuclear powered carrier, submarine, submersible, atomic submarine, boat, pinnace, launch, life boat, long boat, jolly boat, bum boat, fly boat, cock boat, ferry boat, canal boat, swamp boat, ark, bully, battery, bateau, broadhorn, dory, droger, drogher, dugout, durham boat, flatboat, galiot, shallop, gig, funny, skiff, dingy, scow, cockleshell, wherry, coble, punt, cog, kedge, lerret, eight oar, four oar, pair oar, randan, outrigger, float, raft, pontoon, prame, iceboat, ice canoe, ice yacht, catamaran, hydroplane, hovercraft, coracle, gondola, carvel, caravel, felucca, caique, canoe, birch bark canoe, dugout canoe, galley, galleyfoist, bilander, dogger, hooker, howker, argosy, carack, galliass, galleon, polacca, polacre, tartane, junk, lorcha, praam, proa, prahu, saick, sampan, xebec, dhow, dahabeah, nuggah, kayak, keel boat, log canoe, pirogue, quadrireme, trireme, stern-wheeler, wanigan, wangan, wharf boat, balloon, airship, aeroplane, biplane, monoplane, triplane, hydroplane, aerodrome, air balloon, pilot balloon, fire balloon, dirigible, zeppelin, aerostat, Montgolfier, kite, parachute, jet plane, rocket plane, jet liner, turbojet, prop-jet, propeller plane, corporate plane, corporate jet, private plane, private aviation, airline, common carrier, fighter, bomber, fighter-bomber, escort plane, spy plane, supersonic aircraft, subsonic aircraft, afloat, aboard, on board, on ship board, hard a lee, hard a port, hard a starboard, hard a weather.

Softness

N softness, pliableness, flexibility, pliancy, pliability, sequacity, malleability, ductility, tractility, extendibility, extensibility, plasticity, inelasticity, flaccidity, laxity, penetrability, clay, wax, butter, dough, pudding, alumina, argil, cushion, pillow, feather bed, down, padding, wadding, foam, mollification, softening, soft, tender, supple, pliant, pliable, flexible, flexile, lithe, lithesome, lissom, limber, plastic, ductile, tractile, tractable, malleable, extensile, sequacious, inelastic, aluminous, remollient, yielding, flabby, limp, flimsy, doughy, spongy, penetrable, foamy, cushiony, flaccid, flocculent, downy, edematous, oedematous, medullary, argillaceous, mellow, soft as butter, soft as down, soft as silk, yielding as wax, tender as chicken.

Color

N color, hue, tint, tinge, dye, complexion, shade, tincture, cast, livery, coloration, glow, flush, tone, key, pure color, positive color, primary color, primitive complementary color, three primaries, spectrum, chromatic dispersion, broken color, secondary color, tertiary color, local color, coloring, keeping, tone, value, aerial perspective, chromatics, spectrum analysis, spectroscopy, chromatism, chromatography, chromatology, prism, spectroscope, spectrograph, spectrometer, colorimeter (optical instruments), pigment, coloring matter, paint, dye, wash, distemper, stain, medium, mordant, oil paint, colored, colorific, tingent, tinctorial, chromatic, prismatic, full-colored, high-colored, deep-colored, doubly-dyed, polychromatic, chromatogenous, tingible, bright, vivid, intense, deep, fresh, unfaded, rich, gorgeous, gay, gaudy, florid, gay, garish, rainbow-colored, multihued, showy, flaunting, flashy, raw, crude, glaring, flaring, discordant, inharmonious, mellow, pastel, harmonious, pearly, sweet, delicate, tender, refined.