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tenderize

[ten-duh-rahyz]
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tenderize ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), ten·der·ized, ten·der·iz·ing.

to make (meat) tender, as by pounding or by a chemical process or treatment.

RELATED WORDS

mitigate, thaw, abate, relax, modify, ease, lessen, lower, melt, temper, relent, lighten, alleviate, dissolve, diminish, mellow, moderate, cushion, weaken, moisten
Also especially British, ten·der·ise.

Origin of tenderize

First recorded in 1725–35; tender1 + -ize
Related formsten·der·i·za·tion, nounten·der·iz·er, nounun·ten·der·ized, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for tenderize

tenderize

tenderise

verb

(tr) to make (meat) tender by pounding it to break down the fibres, by steeping it in a marinade, or by treating it with a tenderizer
Derived Formstenderization or tenderisation, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for tenderize
v.

1733, from tender + -ize. Specifically of food, recorded by 1935, originally American English. Related: Tenderized; tenderizing.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper