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cylindrical, slightly curved, and, when ripe, soft, fleshy, and covered with a thick but tender yellowish skin. The plantain is a staple article of food in most tropical countries, especially when cooked. Plantain cutter, or Plantain eater (Zoöl.), any one of several large African birds of the genus Musophaga, or fami…

A petty politician; a pretender in politics. Milton.

A pretender; a claimant.

To offer for acceptance; to propose to give; to make a tender of; as, to proffer a gift; to proffer services; to proffer friendship. Shak. I reck not what wrong that thou me profre. Chaucer.

A superficial or narrow pretender to philosophy; a sham philosopher.

To act the part of a quack, or pretender.

he sensitive living flesh; the part of a finger or toe to which the nail is attached; the tender emotions; as, to cut a finger nail to the quick; to thrust a sword to the quick, to taunt one to the quick; -- used figuratively. This test nippeth, . . . this toucheth the quick. Latimer. How feebly and unlike themselves t…

The tube of a musical instrument. He touched the tender stops of various quills. Milton.

Heedful; attentive; observant. -- Re*gard"ful*ly, adv. Let a man be very tender and regardful of every pious motion made by the Spirit of God to his heart. South.

servant. Clarendon. From its peaceful bosom [the grave] spring none but fond regrets and tender recollections. W. Irving.

become less hard, harsh, cruel, or the like; to soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion. Can you . . . behold My sighs and tears, and will not once relent Shak.

appeals for sympathy or forgiveness; insensible to the distresses of others; destitute of tenderness; unrelenting; unyielding; unpitying; as, a prey to relentless despotism. For this the avenging power employs his darts,.. Thus will persist, relentless in his ire. Dryden. -- Re*lent"less*ly, adv. -- Re*lent"less*ness,…

Compassionate; feeling tenderly. [Obs.] Shak.

Place to which one repairs; a haunt; a resort. [R.] There the fierce winds his tender force assail And beat him downward to his first repair. Dryden.

Sorrow for the misery of another; pity; tenderness. [Poetic] "They weep for ruth." Chaucer. "Have ruth of the poor." Piers Plowman. To stir up gentle ruth, Both for her noble blood, and for her tender youth. Spenser.

Pitiful; tender.

One who knows many things superficially; a pretender to science; a smatterer. These passages in that book were enough to humble the presumption of our modern sciolists, if their pride were not as great as their ignorance. Sir W. Temple. A master were lauded and scolists shent. R. Browning.

Minute, but tender and troublesome, excoriations, covered with scabs, upon the heels of horses which have been used where it is very wet or muddy. Law (Farmer's Veter. Adviser).

state of being scruppulous; doubt; doubtfulness respecting decision or action; caution or tenderness from the far of doing wrong or ofending; nice regard to exactness and propierty; precision. The first sacrilege is looked on with horror; but when they have made the breach, their scrupulosity soon retires. Dr. H. More.…

Hence, to shut or close, as the eyes; to blind. Come, seeling night, Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day. Shak. Gold death, with a violent fate, his sable eyes did seel. Chapman.