cord

American  

[kawrd] / kɔrd /

noun

1. a string or thin rope made of several strands braided, twisted, or woven together.

2. Electricity. a small, flexible, insulated cable.

3. a ribbed fabric, especially corduroy.

4. a cordlike rib on the surface of cloth.

5. any influence that binds or restrains.

   cord of marriage.

6. Anatomy. a cordlike structure.

   the spinal cord;

   umbilical cord.

7. a unit of volume used chiefly for fuel wood, now generally equal to 128 cu. ft. (3.6 cu. m), usually specified as 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet high (2.4 m × 1.2 m × 1.2 meters). cd, cd.

8. a hangman's rope.

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verb (used with object)

1. to bind or fasten with a cord or cords.

2. to pile or stack up (wood) in cords.

3. to furnish with a cord.

cord British  

/ kɔːd /

noun

1. string or thin rope made of several twisted strands

2. a length of woven or twisted strands of silk, etc, sewn on clothing or used as a belt

3. a ribbed fabric, esp corduroy

4. any influence that binds or restrains

5. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): flex.  a flexible insulated electric cable, used esp to connect appliances to mains

6. anatomy any part resembling a string or rope

   the spinal cord

7. a unit of volume for measuring cut wood, equal to 128 cubic feet

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verb

1. to bind or furnish with a cord or cords

2. to stack (wood) in cords

Other Word Forms

• corder
  noun
• cordlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cord

1250–1300; Middle English coord ( e ) < Anglo-French, Old French corde < Latin chorda < Greek chordḗ gut; confused in part of its history with chord ¹

Explanation

A cord is a thin rope made of strands of twisted material. You might tie a package with a cord or wear a black cord hung with a silver charm around your neck. Clothing can be decorated with pieces of cord or feature a cord tied like a belt around the waist. Another kind of cord is the electrical kind, which is usually made of plastic. Firewood is measured in units that are also called cords, each one about 128 cubic feet. This type of cord got its name in the 17th century from the way the wood was measured: by tying a length of cord around it.

Example Sentences

All subjects were born to African-American and Latino mothers and had detectable levels of CPF in their umbilical cord blood.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2026

MND affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord, which tell your muscles what to do.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

The progressive disease destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that a person needs to walk, talk, swallow and breathe, according to the ALS Assn.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

He said he believed doing so would have allowed his son to be infused with vitamin K from the cord blood, a popular theory on social media.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

It was faster getting back, because it was mostly downhill until the very end, when I had to swing my way up the cord to the blinds and back to the table.

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

Related Words

• fiber
• string
• twine