(adj.adv.) : tĕner, ĕra, ĕrum, adj.v. teneo; cf. tenuis, and Sanscr. tanu
* Soft, delicate, tender (class.; cf. mollis).
* Lit.
* In gen.: nihil est tam tenerum, neque tam flexibile neque quod tam facile sequatur quocumque ducas quam oratio,Cic. de Or. 3, 45, 176; cf. id. Brut. 79, 274; and v. II. infra): locus bipalio subactus siet beneque terra tenera siet,Cato, R. R. 45, 1; cf.: serito in loco, ubi terra tenerrima erit,id. ib. 151, 2: in tenero corpore,Lucr. 3, 765: procera et tenera palma,Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 2: radices harundinum,Caes. B. C. 3, 58: teneris arboribus incisis atque inflexis,id. B. G. 2, 17: cana legam tenerā lanugine mala,Verg. E. 2, 51: plantae,id. ib. 10, 49: caules,Hor. S. 1, 3, 116: gramen,id. C. 4, 12, 9: rami,Ov. M. 2, 359: uvae,id. R. Am. 83: prata tenerrima,id. A. A. 1, 299: aër,thin, transparent,Lucr. 2, 145; Verg. A. 9, 699; Ov. M. 4, 616: alvus,Cels. 3, 18: gallina,tender,Hor. S. 2, 4, 20; cf.: ferae tenuiores ad epulas,Gell. 17, 15, 7: caseus,Prud. Cath. 3, 70: Dianam tenerae dicite virgines,Hor. C. 1, 21, 1; so, virgines,id. ib. 4, 1, 26: conjux,id. ib. 1, 1, 26 Lycidas, id. ib. 1, 4, 19: saltatores,effeminate,Cic. Pis. 36, 89: vestem Purpuream teneris quoque Maecenatibus aptam,Juv. 12, 39: spado,id. 1, 22.
* Trop.
* In gen., soft, delicate, tender, etc.: est naturale in animis tenerum quiddam atque molle,Cic. Tusc. 3, 6, 12: virtus est in amicitia tenera atque tractabilis,id. Lael. 13, 48: tenerior animus,id. Fam. 5, 21, 3; cf.: tenerae Mentes,Hor. C. 3, 24, 52; so, animi,id. S. 1, 4, 128: pudor,Ov. H. 2, 143: est oratio mollis et tenera et ita flexibilis, ut, etc.,Cic. Or. 16, 52; cf. id. Brut. 9, 38; cf. I. supra init.; so, versus,Hor. A. P. 246; Ov. A. A. 2, 273: carmen,id. Am. 3, 8, 2.—Transf., of elegiac poets: poëta,Cat. 35, 1; Ov. R. Am. 757: Propertius,id. A. A. 3, 333: molli tenerāque voce,Quint. 11, 3, 23: tenera delicataque modulandi voluptas,id. 9, 4, 31 et saep.
* In partic., of youthful weakness, tender: tener animus (pueri), Anton. ap. Cic. Att. 14, 13, A, 3; cf.: horum erroribus teneri statim et rudes animi imbuuntur,Tac. Or. 29; so, adhuc mentes,Quint. 2, 4, 5.—Hence, adv., tenderly, delicately, softly.
* Tĕnĕrē (post-Aug.): dicere,Tac. Or. 26: recitare,Plin. Ep. 4, 27, 1: diligere,Vulg. Gen. 44, 20. — Comp.: complosit manus,Petr. 24.—Sup.: derasus cortex,Plin. 23, 3, 35, § 72.
* ‡ tĕnĕrĭter, only once cited: teneriter quidam efferunt, ut celeriter: alii vero tenere ut libere,Charis. p. 162 P.