tender
ten·der [tender tenders tendered tendering tenderer tenderest] adjective, noun, verb BrE [ˈtendə(r)] NAmE [ˈtendər]
adjective (ten·derer, ten·derest) more tender and most tender are also common
1. kind, gentle and loving
•tender words
•What he needs now is a lot of tender loving care (= sympathetic treatment).
2. (of food)easy to bite through and cut
•This meat is extremely tender.
•Boil the beans until they are tender.
Opp: ↑tough
3. (of part of the body)painful when you touch it
Syn: ↑sore
•My leg is still very tender where I banged it.
4. easily hurt or damaged
Syn: ↑delicate
•tender young plants
Word Origin:
adj. Middle English Old French tendre Latin tener ‘tender, delicate’ v. and n. sense 1 mid 16th cent. ‘formally offer a plea or evidence, or money to discharge a debt’ Old French tendre Latin tendere ‘to stretch, hold forth’ n. senses 2 to 3 late Middle English ‘attendant, nurse’ ↑tend attender ↑attend
Example Bank:
•He felt tender and loving towards her.
•Her expression became soft, almost tender.
•The back of my neck feels very tender.
•The letters to Penelope are achingly tender.
•This meat is beautifully tender.
•I listened to his tender words, and started to feel better.
•What he needs now is a lot of tender loving care.
Idioms: ↑at a tender age ▪ ↑at the tender age of …
Derived Words: ↑tenderly ▪ ↑tenderness
noun
1. a formal offer to supply goods or do work at a stated price
Syn: ↑bid
•Cleaning services have been put out to tender (= companies have been asked to make offers to supply these services).
•a competitive tender
•A local firm submitted the lowest tender.
•The bus company is inviting tenders for a number of new buses.
2. a truck attached to a steam engine, carrying fuel and water
3. a small boat, used for carrying people or goods between a larger boat and land
Word Origin:
adj. Middle English Old French tendre Latin tener ‘tender, delicate’ v. and n. sense 1 mid 16th cent. ‘formally offer a plea or evidence, or money to discharge a debt’ Old French tendre Latin tendere ‘to stretch, hold forth’ n. senses 2 to 3 late Middle English ‘attendant, nurse’ ↑tend attender ↑attend
Example Bank:
•The building of the new school will go out to tender.
•The government invited tenders for a project to computerize the social security system.
•The laundry service was put out to competitive tender.
•The property is to be sold by tender.
•Cleaning and laundry services have been put out to tender.
•The contract was won by a clear margin in a competitive tender.
•The local authority has invited tenders for the supply of school meals.
verb
1. intransitive ~ (for sth) to make a formal offer to supply goods or do work at a stated price
•Local firms were invited to tender for the building contract.
•competitive tendering
2. transitive ~ sth (to sb) (formal)to offer or give sth to sb
•He has tendered his resignation to the Prime Minister.
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
adj. Middle English Old French tendre Latin tener ‘tender, delicate’ v. and n. sense 1 mid 16th cent. ‘formally offer a plea or evidence, or money to discharge a debt’ Old French tendre Latin tendere ‘to stretch, hold forth’ n. senses 2 to 3 late Middle English ‘attendant, nurse’ ↑tend attender ↑attend
Example Bank:
•There should be competitive tendering to obtain the lowest price.
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