tenderloin
noun
Did you know?
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
John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
From home cooks to recipe developers, social media feeds have filled up over the past few months with people purchasing large slabs of uncut meat -- beef tenderloin, New York strip loin and ribeye -- from Costco and breaking it down at home to cut it into individual portions.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
News of the outfielder’s (alleged) positive PED test and his (pending) full-season suspension hit with all the tenderness of a two-buck tenderloin.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Its sandwich was even named Best Sandwich in Iowa by People Magazine in 2019, solidifying its place in tenderloin history.
—Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tenderloin
Cite this Entry
“Tenderloin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenderloin. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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tenderloin
noun
