Definition

1. Noun:
   • A cut of meat: The tenderloin is a specific, very tender cut of meat from the loin of an animal, especially beef or pork, located on each side of the vertebral column.
   • A district of a city: The tenderloin is a term for a city district historically or notoriously associated with vice, crime, and entertainment.

Examples of Usage

• As a cut of meat:
  • The chef prepared a filet mignon from the beef tenderloin.
  • For dinner, we roasted a pork tenderloin with herbs.
• As a city district:
  • The old Tenderloin district was full of theaters and nightlife in the late 19th century.
  • Police activity is high in the city's tenderloin due to ongoing issues with crime.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Figurative Use: The term for a district originates from late 19th-century American slang, implying that the area was a "choice cut" for corrupt police officers who could extract bribes ("tender" money) from vice establishments.
  • Journalists often wrote exposés on the corruption within the tenderloin.

Variants and Related Words

• Tender (adj): Soft or easy to chew. (e.g., )
• Loin (n): The part of the body on both sides of the spine between the ribs and the hipbones. (e.g., )
• Filet mignon (n): A specific steak cut from the smaller end of the beef tenderloin.

Synonyms

• For meat: Filet (especially for beef), undercut.
• For district: Red-light district, vice district, skid row (though "skid row" specifically implies extreme poverty and dilapidation).

Notes on Different Meanings

• The two primary meanings are distinct and context-dependent. The culinary meaning is far more common in everyday modern usage. The district meaning is often capitalized ("the Tenderloin") when referring to a specific neighborhood, such as the well-known Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco.

Noun

1. the tender meat of the loin muscle on each side of the vertebral column
2. a city district known for its vice and high crime rate