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The quality or state of being tender (in any sense of the adjective).

venly; divine. "Angelic harps." Thomson."Angelical actions." Hooker. The union of womanly tenderness and angelic patience. Macaulay. Angelic Hymn, a very ancient hymn of the Christian Church; -- so called from its beginning with the song of the heavenly host recorded in Luke ii. 14. Eadie.

s a ferocious system, that leaves nothing above us to excite awe, nor around us to awaken tenderness. R. Hall. Atheism and pantheism are often wrongly confounded. Shipley.

The seat of pity or kindness. Hence: Tenderness; compassion. "Thou thing of no bowels." Shak. Bloody Bonner, that corpulent tyrant, full (as one said) of guts, and empty of bowels. Fuller.

To bring up or nourish by hand, or with tenderness; to coddle; to tame. [Obs.] Johnson.

An act of endearment; any act or expression of affection; an embracing, or touching, with tenderness. Wooed her with his soft caresses. Langfellow. He exerted himself to win by indulgence and caresses the hearts of all who were under his command. Macaulay.

lammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord, giving rise to severe headaches, tenderness of the back of the neck, paralysis of the ocular muscles, etc. It is sometimes marked by a cutaneous eruption, when it is often called spotted fever. It is not contagious.

To treat with tenderness and affection; to nurture with care; to protect and aid. We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. 1 Thess. ii. 7.

Disposition to forgive and spare, as offenders; mildness of temper; gentleness; tenderness; mercy. Great clemency and tender zeal toward their subjects. Stowe. They had applied for the royal clemency. Macaulay.

Th treat with too great tenderness; to fondle; to indulge; to pamper. Cocker thy child and he shall make thee afraid. Ecclesiasticus xxx. 9. Poor folks cannot afford to cocker themselves up. J. Ingelow.

To treat with excessive tenderness; to pamper. How many of our English princes have been coddled at home by their fond papas and mammas! Thackeray. He [Lord Byron] never coddled his reputation. Southey.

nuptial. Nor Eve the rites Mysterious of connubial love refused. Milton. Kind, connubial tenderness. Goldsmith.

ng connubial; something characteristics of the conjugal state; an expression of connubial tenderness. Some connubialities which had begun to pass between Mr. and Mrs. B. Dickens.

Tenderness of feeling; pity. [Obs.] Chaucer. Conscience clause, a clause in a general law exempting persons whose religious scruples forbid compliance therewith, -- as from taking judicial oaths, rendering military service, etc. -- Conscience money, stolen or wrongfully acquired money that is voluntarily restored to t…

To attempt to attract the notice, admiration, or love of; to treat with a show of tenderness or regard, with a view to deceive and disappoint. You are coquetting a maid of honor. Swift.

Dearly beloved; regarded with especial kindness and tenderness; favorite. "Some darling science." I. Watts. "Darling sin." Macaulay.

Fondness; preciousness; love; tenderness. The dearness of friendship. Bacon.

your defects to know, Make use of every friend -- any every foe. Pope. Among boys little tenderness is shown to personal defects. Macaulay.

To divest of human qualities, such as pity, tenderness, etc.; as, dehumanizing influences.

Nicety or fineness of form, texture, or constitution; softness; elegance; smoothness; tenderness; and hence, frailty or weakness; as, the delicacy of a fiber or a thread; delicacy of a hand or of the human form; delicacy of the skin; delicacy of frame.