Definition of TENDERLOIN

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A tenderloin, of course, is a juicy and tasty cut of meat. In the late 19th century, however, Tenderloin saw use as a nickname for the neighborhood of midtown Manhattan, west of Broadway and below 42nd Street. This district, which contained numerous bordellos, gambling houses, and watering holes, alongside theaters and hotels, became a hotbed of corruption - and, it was alleged by some, blackmail by police. The notion of dishonest law enforcers being able to afford a nice meal off activity in this district is believed to have given the Tenderloin its name. Soon the term was applied to similarly seedy districts in other cities.

Examples of tenderloin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Covered with a gorgonzola mornay sauce, the fries share the plate with huge chunks of terrific chargrilled tenderloin, and are kissed with buffalo sauce. — Anna Caplan, star-telegram, "Fries? Check. Wonderfully messy sandwiches? Check. Roll of paper towels? Absolutely," 6 June 2018 The delicacies to be inhaled include ice cream, chicken wings, sliders and pork tenderloin from Handel's Home Made Ice Cream & Yogurt, Ale Emporium, Four Day Ray Brewing and the Nickel Plate Bar & Grill. — John Tuohy, Indianapolis Star, "Speed-eating on menu at Spark!Fishers holiday weekend bash," 28 June 2018 The restaurant uses only chicken breast tenderloins, the strip of meat on the underside of a chicken breast that is considered a premium cut in the poultry business, and these are never frozen. — Larry Olmsted, USA TODAY, "This fast-food chain serves one specialty," 30 May 2018 Serves 4 To make this easy supper, dress up pork tenderloins with a simple French butter sauce enhanced with grainy mustard. — Karoline Boehm Goodnick, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipe: Pound pork tenderloins into cutlets, then saute and add a buttery mustard sauce," 23 Apr. 2018 Other healthy animal proteins include skinless poultry, fish, and pork tenderloin. — Madelyn Fernstrom, NBC News, "Health Matters: Is a "detox diet" good or bad for your health?," 13 July 2018 The key to evenly cooked, juicy cutlets is using pieces that are thinner than the boneless, skinless chicken breast halves straight out of the package (which often have tenderloins attached, the source of chicken tenders). — Becky Krystal, charlotteobserver, "Breaded chicken cutlets that can go in (or on) just about anything | Charlotte Observer," 1 May 2018 Named after Turkish delight, this is tenderloin in thin slices that are passed over the grill just long enough to mark them. — Pete Wells, New York Times, "A Sprinkle, a Snapshot, a Sensation: My Dinner With Salt Bae," 2 Feb. 2018 Baby back ribs These come from high on the back side of the hog and are closest to the tenderloin. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Here's how to buy and choose ribs," 1 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tenderloin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.