cords

American

[kawrdz] / kɔrdz /

noun

(used with a plural verb) clothing, especially trousers, of corded corded fabric; corduroys.

cords British

/ kɔːdz /

plural noun

trousers, esp jeans, made of corduroy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cords

First recorded in 1770–80; plural of cord

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

During the process, the insertion of a breathing tube damaged his vocal cords, leaving him questioning whether he would ever be able to sing again, he told The Times in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

However, the condition worsened, "sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to," she told NBC News.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Speaking in a strained whisper, the effect of a rare illness of the vocal cords, Page suggested that Hassabis’s company-building endeavors might be similarly pointless.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

When the extension cords running to the back popped the circuit breakers, repeatedly, he tried to curtail electricity usage in the camp.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Soon she was bound to the demon by flaxen cords.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023