tender

Tender is a word with several distinct meanings in English, spanning adjectives, verbs, and nouns.

As an adjective, tender commonly describes gentleness or kindness, such as a tender touch or tender care. It can also mean soft or easily chewed, as in tender meat, or sensitive to touch, as in a tender area of the body commonly noted in medical contexts.

As a verb, to tender means to offer or present something formally. This includes tendering an apology, tendering payment, or, in business terms, tendering for a contract by submitting a bid. In procurement, organizations often require bidders to tender proposals in response to an invitation, with the intention of awarding a contract to a chosen candidate.

As a noun, a tender is either a formal invitation to bid for goods or services or the bid submitted in response to that invitation. The process of submitting bids is known as tendering, and it typically involves evaluation against predefined criteria, comparison of bids, and a contract award. Public sector and large organizations frequently use open tenders or selective tenders, with rules intended to ensure fairness and transparency.

Other specialized senses include maritime usage, where a tender is a small boat used to transport people or supplies between a ship and shore or between vessels. In medicine, tender describes a sensitive area that hurts when touched. In cooking, tenderness describes the texture of meat or other foods.

Together, tender encompasses a range of meanings related to gentleness, formal offers, and particular procedural or physical senses, depending on context.