Tender as a support relationship

Where does the naval term tender come from?

It describes a vessel that tends to, supplies, or cares for another ship, flotilla, or service rather than one rigid hull type.

The practical meaning of a tender is a vessel that cares for or supplies another activity. The Royal Navy used the term for commissioned supply and transport vessels in the nineteenth century, while buoy tenders maintained navigation aids. That history explains why the word appears beside submarines, destroyers, buoys, and other specialized tasks. The terminology can be untidy, so the useful operational question is what capability the supported unit lacks on its own.