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

Example Sentences

White matter is made up of long nerve fibres that link different parts of the brain and spinal cord, allowing electrical signals to travel back and forth.

From Science Daily

Tipping died three days after he suffered a spinal cord injury while training at the police academy in Elysian Park on May 26, 2022.

From Los Angeles Times

The researchers estimate that one-fifth of a typical cord blood unit could theoretically yield enough cells for thousands or even tens of thousands of treatment doses.

From Science Daily

The incoming particle beams are relatively focused, like current flowing through a cord.

From Science Daily

Nim’s hair was wild, her eyes were bright, and around her neck she wore three cords.

From Literature

Related Words

• fiber
• string
• twine