tenderloin
Americannoun
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(in beef or pork) the tender meat of the muscle running through the sirloin and terminating before the ribs.
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a cut of beef lying between the sirloin and ribs.
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(initial capital letter)
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(formerly) a district in New York City noted for corruption and vice: so called because police there could eat well from their bribes.
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a similar district in any U.S. city.
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noun
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a tender cut of pork or other meat from between the sirloin and ribs
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a district of a city that is particularly noted for vice and corruption
Etymology
Origin of tenderloin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A special “Chef’s Table” meal featured pumpkin and ginger soup, a duo of rock lobster and beef tenderloin, and a carrot panna cotta dessert, Moraes posted.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Glasses of Champagne, truffles, gold leaf and caviar decorate the poached blue lobster and A5 Miyazaki beef tenderloin dishes here.
From Salon • Dec. 27, 2025
After graduating in 2011, he debuted the Ooo-We! sauce, a “sweet, spicy, saucy glaze” that he said pairs well with everything from eggs to pork tenderloin.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025
The leanest pork cuts include the loin, tenderloin, center loin and ham.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2024
The cook, placed upon her mettle, served a delicious repast—a luscious tenderloin broiled k point The wine tasted good; the marron glac£ seemed to be just what she wanted.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
