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)

cords, present (3rd person singular) corded, past participle, past cording present participle

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

Derived Forms

• corder
  noun
• cordlike
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have corded
  perfect
• has corded
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are cording
  progressive
• is cording
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been cording
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• am cording
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been cording
  perfect progressive
• cords
  singular 3rd person
• cording
  participle

Past

• had corded
  perfect
• were cording
  progressive plural
• had been cording
  perfect progressive
• was cording
  progressive singular
• corded
  simple
• corded
  participle

Future

• will cord
  simple
• will have corded
  perfect
• will be cording
  progressive
• will have been cording
  perfect progressive

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

The finished connectome shows how each neuron connects with other neurons in the brain and nerve cord at the level of individual synapses.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

They then examined how the compound affected immune activity and inflammatory signaling in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

Cutting the cord gave consumers more choice about what to watch on TV, but in some ways they have ended up with less.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

While the broad move toward cord cutting and a la carte programming has put significant pressure on pay-TV providers, it has also created a plethora of unforeseen problems for streaming services.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

The phone cord unwound from my finger, leaving crisscross indentations.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

• fiber
• string
• twine