tenderer
/ˈten.dər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈten.dɚ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈten-dər How to pronounce tender (audio)/ (ame, mw)
tenderer — verb
- tendererpresent simple I / you / we / they
- tenderers3rd person singular
- tenderering-ing form
- tendereredpast simple
1. to submit a written proposal that sets out how much you would charge to complete
to submit a written proposal that sets out how much you would charge to complete a specific job or contract
Andrew's construction firm decided to tender for the new hospital project in Glasgow.
tender for + [project]
Greta spent two weeks preparing the documents to tender for the school catering contract.
Three companies tendered for the bridge repair work, but only one met the safety rules.
The council invited small businesses to tender for the park maintenance work this summer.
Dahlia's team tendered for the IT support contract and won it with the lowest bid.
- withdraw
to pull back a bid already submitted
文法句型
tender for + [job/contract/project]
用法筆記
Followed by 'for' plus the job, contract, or project being bid on. The subject is typically a company or business.
常見錯誤
2. to submit a formal bid stating the price you are willing to pay for shares, bond
to submit a formal bid stating the price you are willing to pay for shares, bonds, or other securities
Reema decided to tender for two thousand shares in the new renewable energy company.
tender for + [shares]
Eitan tendered for a controlling stake in the struggling regional airline last Tuesday.
Ilan's broker advised him to tender for the shares before the Friday deadline.
Nkechi's investment group tendered for bonds issued by the East African development bank.
Several pension funds tendered for the government bonds at the auction in Abuja last month.
- withdraw
to pull back an offer to buy shares
文法句型
tender for + [shares/securities/bonds]
用法筆記
Followed by 'for' plus the shares or securities being bid on. Used almost exclusively in financial and stock-market contexts.
常見錯誤
3. to hand over or put forward something — such as a letter of resignation, an apol
to hand over or put forward something — such as a letter of resignation, an apology, or a sum of money — so that the other party can formally accept it
Omar tendered his resignation to the board after twelve years as chief executive.
tender + resignation
Nala's insurance firm tendered a formal apology to the families whose medical records had been leaked.
tender + apology
Manuela tendered the full payment in cash at the lawyer's office on Monday morning.
The ambassador tendered his credentials to the foreign minister at the state palace.
Haruto's insurer tendered a settlement of fifty thousand dollars to the injured driver.
文法句型
tender + [resignation/apology/payment/credentials]
用法筆記
Transitive — takes a direct object such as 'resignation', 'apology', 'payment', or 'credentials'. More formal than 'hand in' or 'give'; common in official, legal, and diplomatic settings.
常見錯誤
tenderer — noun
1. a person or business that submits a priced offer to carry out specific work or s
a person or business that submits a priced offer to carry out specific work or supply particular goods, usually in competition with others for the same contract
Beatrix was the lowest tenderer for the new hospital wing in Rotterdam.
tenderer for + [project]
The transport authority invited five tenderers to bid for the bridge repair work.
Tariq became the winning tenderer for the motorway extension after months of preparation.
Eshe was the cheapest tenderer, but the council chose a larger construction firm instead.
Valentina registered as a tenderer at twenty-one and won her first contract soon after.
用法筆記
Common in government procurement, construction, and large-scale service contracts. The tenderer is the party making the offer — not the organisation inviting bids.
常見錯誤
2. someone who formally declares what they are ready to pay to purchase company sto
someone who formally declares what they are ready to pay to purchase company stock, or what price they will accept to sell it, as part of a regulated financial procedure
Noa was the only tenderer for eight hundred shares in the green energy start-up.
tenderer for + [number] shares
The board rejected Vivek as a tenderer, calling his price per share far too low.
Dylan submitted his bid late, but the board still accepted him as a valid tenderer.
Rin became a tenderer for a controlling stake during the hostile takeover last autumn.
用法筆記
Used specifically in stock-market and corporate-takeover contexts. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about buying or selling company shares, not about performing work or delivering goods.
3. a formal process in which an organisation invites outside companies to compete f
a formal process in which an organisation invites outside companies to compete for a project by submitting detailed plans and cost estimates
Cole put the office cleaning contract out to tender after the old supplier raised prices.
put [sth] out to tender
Sven's small firm beat three multinationals to win the tender for renovating the city's oldest stone bridge.
The council put the park maintenance work out to tender, inviting bids from local companies.
Amihan was thrilled when her bakery won the tender to supply all twelve city schools.
- bidding
shorter and more general; does not imply the formal procurement structure
- competitive tendering
the full formal term emphasising the competitive element
- procurement process
broader; covers the entire purchasing cycle, not just the bidding stage
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the phrase 'put something out to tender' or 'go out to tender'. This sense names the process itself, not the person making the offer (see sense 1) or the document submitted.
4. a wheeled carrier that holds and transports fuel and water, either attached behi
a wheeled carrier that holds and transports fuel and water, either attached behind a steam locomotive or used as a specialist emergency vehicle by fire crews
The steam locomotive pulled a tender piled high with coal through the mountain pass.
Fire crews called in a water tender as the forest fire reached the village edge.
water tender as compound noun
Caleb stood near the tracks, watching the old engine and its tender rattle slowly past.
A rusty railway tender sat in the museum yard, green paint flaking in the sun.
用法筆記
Two main contexts: railway (the wagon directly behind a steam locomotive) and fire service (a vehicle carrying large volumes of water). The railway sense is historical in most countries.
5. a compact boat that shuttles travellers, crew, or cargo between dry land and a m
a compact boat that shuttles travellers, crew, or cargo between dry land and a much larger ship moored away from the dock
The tender motored back and forth, carrying tourists from the cruise liner to the pier.
Amihan gripped the side of the tender as it bounced across the choppy harbour water.
tender as vessel between shore and ship
Lakshmi loaded the medical supplies onto the tender bound for the cargo ship.
The ship's tender made six trips that morning, bringing all two hundred passengers ashore.
- dinghy
smaller, often inflatable; less formal and not necessarily tied to ship service
- launch
larger and usually motorised; can be used independently of a mother ship
- shuttle boat
emphasises the back-and-forth transport function
用法筆記
Used when a large vessel cannot dock directly at the shore. Also serves as a supply boat attending to other ships at sea. Distinguish from sense 4: this is a boat, not a land vehicle.
6. a narrow cut of soft meat from the breast of a chicken, usually covered in bread
a narrow cut of soft meat from the breast of a chicken, usually covered in breadcrumbs and cooked in hot oil until crisp
Talia ordered a basket of chicken tenders and shared them with her younger brother.
chicken tenders as food item
Cole dipped each hot tender into barbecue sauce before crunching into the golden crust.
The children ate every tender on the plate and begged their dad to order more.
Sven's homemade chicken tenders were even better than the ones from the takeaway shop.
Hassan packed chicken tenders with salad and flatbread for his lunch at the building site.
- chicken finger
common in American English; essentially the same food item
- chicken strip
broader term; may refer to unbreaded pieces as well
- goujon
French-derived term used in some restaurant menus; implies a more upscale presentation
用法筆記
Often shortened to 'tenders' in casual conversation and on menus. Not to be confused with 'tender chicken', which simply describes soft-cooked chicken rather than naming a specific fried food.
常見錯誤
7. money that a country's law says must be accepted when someone uses it to pay a d
money that a country's law says must be accepted when someone uses it to pay a debt
The shopkeeper refused Fatima's Scottish banknotes, not knowing they were legal tender.
collocation: legal tender
Kwame took his grandfather's tin of old coins to the central bank to check whether they were still legal tender.
The market vendor told James that only government-issued notes and coins counted as legal tender.
The taxi driver told Jenna that euro notes were not accepted as tender in the mountain town.
The cashier told Hugo that gift cards are not legal tender in the shop.
- currency
currency refers to any system of money in general use; tender specifically means money that must be legally accepted for debts
- legal tender
the full phrase used in formal and legal contexts
用法筆記
Often used in the phrase 'legal tender.' Refers specifically to money that creditors are legally required to accept.
常見錯誤
8. a person whose job is to look after a particular place, machine, or group of peo
a person whose job is to look after a particular place, machine, or group of people
Beatriz worked as the lighthouse tenderer, keeping the great lamp burning every night.
tenderer of a place: keeper or attendant
The bridge tenderer raised the heavy steel platform to let the tall ship pass through.
After finishing his training, Arjun found work as a machine tenderer on the night shift at the textile factory.
At sunrise, the park tenderer unlocked the main gate and checked every path for branches brought down by the storm.
Each morning, the goat tenderer led the herd up the rocky hillside to find fresh grass after the rains.
用法筆記
Often found in job titles or occupational names for people who look after a specific thing (lighthouse tenderer, bridge tenderer, machine tenderer).
tenderer — adjective
- tendererpositive
- more tenderercomparative
- most tenderersuperlative
1. showing a greater degree of warmth, care, or gentle affection towards someone
showing a greater degree of warmth, care, or gentle affection towards someone
After the argument about moving house, Amira's apology was far tenderer than her husband expected.
tenderer + than for explicit comparison
The nurse's hands grew tenderer each time she checked on the elderly patient.
Dahlia found her father's wartime letters much tenderer than his usual short notes.
Young Asher gathered the frightened kitten into his arms, his voice far tenderer than his mother had ever heard.
The boy's tone became tenderer whenever he described his grandmother's Sunday meals.
文法句型
tenderer + than
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is about emotional softness and affection, not the physical texture of food.
常見錯誤
2. feeling more painful or sensitive when pressed, touched, or moved
feeling more painful or sensitive when pressed, touched, or moved
Joaquín's shoulder was tenderer the morning after he helped his uncle move furniture.
tenderer + time reference — delayed onset of soreness
Mauricio's wound looked the same but felt much tenderer than it had the day before.
felt much tenderer — sensation verb with comparative
After the long hike, Benjamin's feet were tenderer than they had ever been.
Ayesha noticed the bruise on her arm was tenderer where the ball had hit hardest.
- sorer
more common in everyday speech for muscle or injury pain
- more sensitive
broader; can describe skin reactions or emotional sensitivity too
- more painful
stronger; suggests a higher level of discomfort
- numb
complete lack of sensation is the opposite extreme
文法句型
tenderer + than
用法筆記
Always refers to a body part or area of the body. The subject is typically a wound, bruise, muscle, or specific spot, not a general feeling of internal pain.
常見錯誤
3. softer and easier to bite into or cut through than something else, used especial
softer and easier to bite into or cut through than something else, used especially of meat and cooked vegetables
The chicken Pedro cooked in the slow oven was tenderer than any restaurant dish.
tenderer than — direct food comparison
Anong said the beef became tenderer after soaking in the lime juice overnight.
became tenderer after — describing the cooking process
The carrots Sayaka pulled from her garden this morning were tenderer than the ones she grew last summer.
Noor's grandmother insisted that lamb cooked slowly with yoghurt and cardamom was always tenderer.
The sea bass Defne served was far tenderer when steamed with ginger instead of fried.
- softer
broader; applies to many textures beyond food
- juicier
specific to meat; emphasises moisture as well as softness
- more succulent
more formal; often used in food writing and restaurant reviews
文法句型
tenderer + than
用法筆記
Only used for food, especially meat, fish, and vegetables. Distinguish from sense 4, which describes fragile objects or plants that break easily.
常見錯誤
4. more easily harmed, broken, or killed by cold weather, rough handling, or harsh
more easily harmed, broken, or killed by cold weather, rough handling, or harsh conditions
The seedlings Cyrus planted in the greenhouse were tenderer than those grown outdoors.
tenderer than — comparing hardiness of plants
Tendai's new roses turned out to be tenderer than the old garden variety.
turned out to be tenderer — discovering unexpected fragility
The fabric felt tenderer after years of washing in harsh detergent.
The gardener watched the butterflies emerge from their cocoons, their wings far tenderer than she had imagined.
- more delicate
more common; applies to objects, situations, and people
- more fragile
stresses the risk of breaking rather than just being soft
- weaker
broader; covers physical strength, structure, and resistance
文法句型
tenderer + than
用法筆記
Typically describes plants, fabrics, or delicate objects that cannot withstand rough conditions. Distinguish from sense 2, which refers specifically to body parts that hurt when touched.
5. at a younger or less mature stage of life, used almost always in the phrases 'te
at a younger or less mature stage of life, used almost always in the phrases 'tenderer age' or 'tenderer years'
At the tenderer age of twelve, Ryo worked long hours on his uncle's farm.
at the tenderer age of — fixed literary phrase
Sofie's youngest was still at a tenderer age and needed someone to walk her to the bus stop.
Mr. Okonkwo's memoir recalled a tenderer time in his childhood, before the civil war reached his village.
At the lakeside, the sign warned that children of a tenderer age should not be left alone near the water.
- younger
the standard everyday word; no special connotation
- more youthful
carries a positive spin — energy and freshness rather than inexperience
- more immature
negative; implies a lack of development that is inappropriate
- older
neutral; the straightforward opposite in age
- more mature
positive; suggests wisdom and development
文法句型
tenderer + age/years
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the set phrases 'tenderer age' or 'tenderer years.' Used on its own to describe a person directly ('she is tenderer') is unnatural in modern English.