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tender ~ tender ~ tender

[the same pronunciation]

“Tender” (adjective) means ‘gentle, careful, soft, kind and delicate in a way that gives or shows affection and care; easily damaged or spoiled, therefore, care should be taken in handling; (of a part of a body) soft to touch and painful, often looks swollen and red; young and inexperienced; (of food, especially meat) easy to eat because it is well cooked’,

e.g.

He gave the baby a tender kiss.

The severe winter killed all the tender flowering plants.

He lips were still tender and swollen from the hard hit she had received from him.

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“Tender” (noun) is ‘a formal official offer in the form of a statement to supply something(s) or to do a job or to carry out some work; bid; a small boat used for carrying passengers or goods/things from the shore to a large boat; a part of a steam train that is used for carrying coal and water’,

e.g.

The maintenance of our hospital is put out to tender.   [i.e. we do not employ any permanent workers to do the cleaning job, but pay some agency or company to do it; we invite several companies to tell us in writing how much they charge for the work, and then choose the most economical one]

If you accept the lowest tender now, you will get the least quality of goods or service later.

Tourists visiting the far off islands were taken to the cruise ship on fast tender boats.

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“Tender” (verb) is ‘to show, offer, submit or give something officially; to give or show something to somebody formally/officially’,

e.g.

As club’s secretary, you have the responsibility to tender the proposals made in the meetings to all the members of the club.

A common notice on the public transport the commuters see every day:  PLEASE TENDER EXACT CHANGE    [i.e. the passengers are requested to give the exact change for the fare in coins to the conductor]

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