Tender (redirected from tenderness)

tender¹

(of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by a wind; crank

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tender²

Commerce a formal offer to supply specified goods or services at a stated cost or rate

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tender³

1. a small boat, such as a dinghy, towed or carried by a yacht or ship

2. a vehicle drawn behind a steam locomotive to carry the fuel and water

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tender [′ten·dər]

(mechanical engineering)

A vehicle that is attached to a locomotive and carries supplies of fuel and water.

(naval architecture)

A naval auxiliary ship that serves as a mobile base for repair and limited resupply of other ships.

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tender

A proposal or bid for a contract to perform work, often on a form, completed by a contractor, giving estimated price and time to complete a contract.

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Tender 

an auxiliary vessel designated for the basing of warship units at stationary points and also for supporting them at sea. There are tenders for submarines and surface ships.

Tenders have repair equipment, workshops, tanks for liquid fuel and fresh water, and quarters for the personnel of ships being serviced by the tender. For example, an American tender for atomic missile submarines can serve as the base for nine to ten submarines. It has a displacement of 23,000 tons and a traveling speed of 37 km/hr (20 knots) and is armed with two to four multipurpose guns with calibers of 76–127 mm.

The first tenders appeared during World War I. During World War II, the United States employed 11 submarine tenders, and the British Navy used three for submarines and two for destroyers. After the war, tenders became the principal means of support for the basing and operations of units of various types of submarines.

In the fishing industry, tenders are called fish factory ships and fish mother ships.