tender: English has two distinct words tender, both of which go back ultimately to the Indo- European base *ten- ‘stretch’. The adjective, ‘delicate, fragile’ [13], comes via Old French tendre from Latin tener ‘delicate’, a descendant of *ten- and source also of English tendril [16] (etymologically a ‘tender’ shoot). The verb, ‘offer’ [16], comes from another Old French tendre, which went back to Latin tendere ‘stretch, hold out’ (source of English tend, tendency, etc). => tenant, tend, tendril
tender (adj.)
"soft, easily injured," early 13c., from Old French tendre "soft, delicate; young" (11c.), from Latin tenerem (nominative tener) "soft, delicate; of tender age, youthful," from a derivative of PIE root *ten- "stretch" (see tenet), on the notion of "stretched," hence "thin," hence "weak" or "young." Compare Sanskrit tarunah "young, tender," Greek teren "tender, delicate," Armenian t'arm "young, fresh, green."
Meaning "kind, affectionate, loving" first recorded early 14c. Meaning "having the delicacy of youth, immature" is attested in English from early 14c. Related: Tenderly; tenderness. Tender-hearted first recorded 1530s.
tender (v.)
"to offer formally," 1540s, from Middle French tendre "to offer, hold forth" (11c.), from Latin tendere "to stretch, extend" (see tenet). The retention of the ending of the French infinitive is unusual (see render (v.) for another example). The noun meaning "formal offer for acceptance" is from 1540s; specific sense of "money that may be legally offered as payment" is from 1740; hence legal tender "currency."
tender (n.)
"person who tends another," late 15c., probably an agent noun formed from Middle English tenden "attend to" (see tend (v.2)); later extended to locomotive engineers (1825) and barmen (1883). The meaning "small boat used to attend larger ones" first recorded 1670s.
实用例句
1. Steam the carrots until they are just beginning to be tender.
将胡萝卜蒸至刚好变软。
来自柯林斯例句
2. The staff are forbidden to tender for private-sector work.
工作人员不得投标承接私营部门的工作。
来自柯林斯例句
3. If the meat is marbled with fat it should be tender.
如果是五花肉的话，应该比较嫩。
来自柯林斯例句
4. It is a beautiful meat, very lean and tender.
这块肉很好，又瘦又嫩。
来自柯林斯例句
5. To reconstitute dried tomatoes, simmer in plain water until they are tender.
