tenderloin
tenderloin Lexical Profile
tenderloin Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The most tender part of a loin of beef, pork, or other meat, consisting of a muscle located on either side of the backbone.
"For the holiday dinner, the chef prepared a perfectly roasted pork tenderloin with a sweet apple cider glaze."
American A district of a city, especially one characterized by vice, crime, and corruption.
"During the late nineteenth century, the neighborhood earned a reputation as the city's premier tenderloin, filled with illegal gambling halls and speakeasies."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to a city district known for crime and vice, the word is often capitalized as 'Tenderloin', originating from historically prominent neighborhoods in New York City and San Francisco.
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'tender' and 'loin', originally referring to the most tender cut of meat. The secondary meaning for a high-crime city district originated in 1876 in New York City, supposedly coined by a police captain who remarked that the increased bribe money from his new precinct would finally allow him to eat tenderloin steak instead of cheap chuck cuts.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.