TENDER

One who tends; one who takes care of any person or thing; a nurse.

A vessel employed to attend other vessels, to supply them with provisions and other stores, to convey intelligence, or the like.

A car attached to a locomotive, for carrying a supply of fuel and water.

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.

To offer in words; to present for acceptance. You see how all conditions, how all minds, . . . tender down Their services to Lord Timon. Shak.

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.

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. A free, unlimited tender of the gospel. South.

The thing offered; especially, money offered in payment of an obligation. Shak. 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.

Easily impressed, broken, bruised, or injured; not firm or hard; delicate; as, tender plants; tender flesh; tender fruit.

Sensible to impression and pain; easily pained. Our bodies are not naturally more tender than our faces. L'Estrange.

Physically weak; not hardly or able to endure hardship; immature; effeminate. The tender and delicate woman among you. Deut. xxviii. 56.

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. 11. I am choleric by my nature, and tender by my temper. Fuller.

Exciting kind concern; dear; precious. I love Valentine, Whose life's as tender to me as my soul! Shak.

Careful to save inviolate, or not to injure; -- with of. "Tender of property." Burke. The civil authority should be tender of the honor of God and religion. Tillotson.

Unwilling to cause pain; gentle; mild. You, that are thus so tender o'er his follies, Will never do him good. Shak.

Adapted to excite feeling or sympathy; expressive of the softer passions; pathetic; as, tender expressions; tender expostulations; a tender strain.

Apt to give pain; causing grief or pain; delicate; as, a tender subject. "Things that are tender and unpleasing." Bacon.

Heeling over too easily when under sail; -- said of a vessel.

Regard; care; kind concern. [Obs.] Shak.

To have a care of; to be tender toward; hence, to regard; to esteem; to value. [Obs.] For first, next after life, he tendered her good. Spenser. Tender yourself more dearly. Shak. 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. Fuller.