tender

== English == === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ˈtɛn.də(ɹ)/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈtɛn.dɚ/ (New York City) IPA(key): /ˈtɛn.də/ Rhymes: -ɛndə(ɹ) Hyphenation: ten‧der Homophone: tinder (pin–pen merger) === Etymology 1 === From Middle English tender, tendere, from Anglo-Norman tender, Old French tendre, from Latin tener, tenerum (“soft, delicate”). ==== Adjective ==== tender (comparative tenderer, superlative tenderest) Sensitive or painful to the touch. Easily bruised or injured; not firm or hard; delicate. Physically weak; not able to endure hardship. (of food) Soft and easily chewed. 2001, Joey Pantolino (character), The Matrix (movie) The Matrix is telling my brain this steak is tender, succulent, and juicy. Sensible to impression and pain; easily pained. Fond, loving, gentle, or sweet. Young and inexperienced. 2001 October 15, Appeals Court of Illinios (Second District) in Appelhans v. McFall: Adapted to excite feeling or sympathy; expressive of the softer passions; pathetic. Apt to give pain; causing grief or pain; delicate. (nautical) Heeling over too easily when under sail; said of a vessel. (obsolete) Exciting kind concern; dear; precious. (obsolete) Careful to keep inviolate, or not to injure; used with of. ===== Synonyms ===== (soft, yielding, delicate): nesh See also Thesaurus:affectionate ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== tender (countable and uncountable, plural tenders) (obsolete) Care, kind concern, regard. The inner flight muscle (pectoralis minor) of poultry. === Etymology 2 === From Middle English tender, tendur, tendir, tendre, from the adjective (see above). ==== Adverb ==== tender (comparative more tender, superlative most tender) tenderly === Etymology 3 === From Middle English tendren, from the adjective (see above). ==== Verb ==== tender (third-person singular simple present tenders, present participle tendering, simple past and past participle tendered) (now rare) To make tender or delicate; to weaken. , vol.I, New York, 2001, p.233: To such as are wealthy, live plenteously, at ease, […] these viands are to be forborne, if they be inclined to, or suspect melancholy, as they tender their healths […]. c. 1947, Putnam Fadeless Dyes [flyer packaged with granulated dye]: Putnam Fadeless Dyes will not injure any material. Boiling water does tender some materials. […] Also, silk fibers are very tender when wet and care should be take not to boil them too vigorously. (archaic) To feel tenderly towards; to regard fondly or with consideration. === Etymology 4 === From tend +‎ -er. Compare attender (“one who attends”). ==== Noun ==== tender (plural tenders) (archaic outside certain compounds) Someone who tends or waits on something or someone. Hypernym: person Hyponyms: bartender, locktender (rail transport) A railroad car towed behind a steam engine to carry fuel and water. (nautical) A naval ship that functions as a mobile base for other ships. (nautical) A smaller boat used for transportation between a large ship and the shore. Synonym: dinghy (diving) A member of a diving team who assists a diver during a dive but does not themselves go underwater. Ellipsis of water tender (“firefighting apparatus”). ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== tender (third-person singular simple present tenders, present participle tendering, simple past and past participle tendered) To work on a tender. === Etymology 5 === From Middle English tendren, from Old French tendre (“stretch out”). ==== Noun ==== tender (plural tenders) Anything which is offered, proffered, put forth or bid with the expectation of a response, answer, or reply. A means of payment such as a check or cheque, cash or credit card. (law) A formal offer to buy or sell something. Any offer or proposal made for acceptance. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ===== See also ===== legal tender put out to tender put out for tender ==== Verb ==== tender (third-person singular simple present tenders, present participle tendering, simple past and past participle tendered) (formal) To offer, to give. 1864 November 21, Abraham Lincoln (signed) or John Hay, letter to Mrs. Bixby in Boston I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. To offer a payment, as at sales or auctions; to bid. ===== Synonyms ===== offer ===== Derived terms ===== tenderable tender something out ===== Translations ===== === Anagrams === enter'd, entred, rented, tendre == Dutch == === Etymology === Borrowed from English tender. === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: ten‧der === Noun === tender m (plural tenders, diminutive tendertje n) (finance) tender (rail transport) coal-car ==== Synonyms ==== (finance) aanbesteding ==== Descendants ==== → Indonesian: tender == Indonesian == === Pronunciation === (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈtɛndər/ [ˈt̪en.dər] Rhymes: -ɛndər Syllabification: ten‧der === Etymology 1 === From Dutch tender: from English tender, from Middle English tendren, from Old French tendre (“stretch out”), from Latin tendere. ==== Noun ==== tèndêr (plural tender-tender) (trading) tender, anything which is offered, proffered, put forth or bid with the expectation of a response, answer, or reply ===== Synonyms ===== sebut harga (Standard Malay) ===== Derived terms ===== ==== Compounds ==== === Etymology 2 === From Dutch tender, from English tender, tend +‎ -er. ==== Noun ==== tèndêr (plural tender-tender) (transport) tender: a railroad car towed behind a steam engine to carry fuel and water === Further reading === “tender”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016 == Italian == === Pronunciation === === Etymology 1 === ==== Verb ==== tender (apocopated) apocopic form of tendere === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from English tender. ==== Noun ==== tender m (invariable) tender (rail transport) Synonyms: carboniera, carro di scorta, carro di rifornimento == Middle English == === Noun === tender alternative form of tinder == Polish == === Etymology === Borrowed from English tender. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtɛn.dɛr/ Rhymes: -ɛndɛr Syllabification: ten‧der === Noun === tender m inan (rail transport) tender (railroad car towed behind a steam engine to carry fuel) (nautical) tender (ship functioning as mobile base for other ships) ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === tender in Polish dictionaries at PWN == Portuguese == === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: ten‧der === Etymology 1 === From Latin tendere, from Proto-Italic *tendō, from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, draw”). ==== Verb ==== tender (first-person singular present tendo, first-person singular preterite tendi, past participle tendido) to tend to trend ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== === Etymology 2 === Clipping of entender. ==== Verb ==== tender (first-person singular present tendo, first-person singular preterite tendi, past participle tendido) (Brazil, colloquial) clipping of entender === Further reading === “tender”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “tender”, in Dicio – Dicionário Online de Português (in Portuguese), São Paulo: 7Graus, 2009–2026 “tender”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2026 “tender”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026 “tender”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN “tender”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French tender. === Noun === tender n (plural tendere) (rail transport) tender ==== Declension ==== == Spanish == === Etymology === Inherited from Latin tendere, tendō, from Proto-Italic *tendō, from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, draw”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /tenˈdeɾ/ [t̪ẽn̪ˈd̪eɾ] Rhymes: -eɾ Syllabification: ten‧der === Verb === tender (first-person singular present tiendo, first-person singular preterite tendí, past participle tendido) (intransitive) to tend to, to have a tendency (transitive) to spread, to stretch out (transitive) to lay (cable) (transitive) to make (a bed) (transitive) to hang up (clothes) (transitive) to build (a bridge across an expanse) (transitive) to extend (the hand) (transitive) to floor (with a punch), to stretch out (transitive) to cast (a net) (transitive) to set (a trap) (transitive) to coat (with plaster) (reflexive) to lay oneself down ==== Conjugation ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “tender”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025