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

Mullins’s shot ripped the net cord like it had a plane to catch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

But the pace of cord cutting has also slowed down in recent quarters, Fishman noted.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

The technology may also be adapted for other parts of the body, including the spinal cord, and could eventually be combined with future innovations such as opto-electronics embedded in artificial skull plates.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

MS is an incurable condition which affects the brain and spinal cord and causes symptoms such as vision problems, fatigue, clumsiness, muscle spasms and urinary problems.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

He held out a tattered leather cord, and the breath caught in my throat.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Related Words

• fiber
• string
• twine