cord

noun

\ ˈkȯrd

Definition of cord

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a long slender flexible material usually consisting of several strands (as of thread or yarn) woven or twisted together

b : the hangman's rope

2 : a moral, spiritual, or emotional bond

3a : an anatomical structure (such as a nerve or tendon) resembling a cord especially : umbilical cord sense 1a

b : a small flexible insulated electrical cable having a plug at one or both ends used to connect a lamp or other appliance with a receptacle

4 : a unit of wood cut for fuel equal to a stack 4 x 4 x 8 feet or 128 cubic feet

5a : a rib like a cord on a textile

b(1) : a fabric made with such ribs or a garment made of such a fabric

(2) cords plural : trousers made of such a fabric

cord

verb

corded; cording; cords

Definition of cord (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to furnish, bind, or connect with a cord

2 : to pile up (wood) in cords

Other Words from cord Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about cord

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Synonyms for cord

Synonyms: Noun

cable, lace, lacing, line, rope, string, wire

Examples of cord in a Sentence

Noun

She wore the key on a cord around her neck. They used cords to tie the tent to the trees.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The teen returned on April 23 to accept Clarisa Figueroa's offer of free baby clothes, and as Desiree Figueroa was showing Ochoa a photo album of her late brother to distract her, Clarisa Figueroa sneaked up behind her and strangled her with a cord. — CBS News, "Baby cut from slain Chicago woman's womb has died," 14 June 2019 Horiuchi MacAdam creates the giant pieces almost entirely by hand, first dyeing batches of nylon cord and then crocheting hexagonal shapes that are assembled to form the nets. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "‘Whammock!’ at the New Children’s Museum reflects artist’s passion for building interactive art for kids," 13 June 2019 Innate put on his bathrobe and bowler hat, loaded a few bags into his motorboat, and shook the engine to life with a few pulls of the starter cord. — Joe Kloc, Harper's magazine, "Lost at Sea," 10 June 2019 The cable is exactly as its name describes: one end of the six-foot cord has Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connect adapter, while the other end is a standard USB-C plug. — Dan Seifert, The Verge, "This cable lets you charge your Surface Pro or Laptop from a USB-C battery," 18 Dec. 2018 The poor results for cable come amid an acceleration of cord cutting, the phenomenon of people dropping cable or never subscribing in the first place. — Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "Why Everyone Hates Their Cable Company Even More This Year," 23 May 2018 Liliana remembered the brother choking his partner with an electric cord and leaving her unconscious. — Alice Driver, Longreads, "Oh, Girl!," 20 June 2019 But as technology evolved, more consumers fast-forwarded through ads and cut the cord altogether. — Wendy Lee, latimes.com, "Brands like HP and Apple try film to reach young consumers who skip commercials," 11 June 2019 The cable industry is undergoing a major transformation, as more Americans cut the cord on their cable subscriptions and flock to streaming services like Hulu and Netflix. — Joe Flint, WSJ, "AT&T Eyes $16- to $17-a-Month Streaming Service in Strategy Shift," 6 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

With chic wave-like cutouts and lacey cording details, the Free Spirit is the most stylish, but the outsole material can feel a little slick on floors. — Karen Campbell, BostonGlobe.com, "Hybrid footwear for all terrains," 4 July 2019 This is one of the only wireless headsets that will work with Nintendo's mobile chatting app, and corded, for online multiplayer. — Jess Grey, WIRED, "The Best E3 Game and Gear Sales for Consoles and PC," 10 June 2019 Unfortunately the miter saw is the only Dewalt tool capable of going corded, for now. — Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, "Go Corded or Cordless with Metabo HPT MultiVolt Power Tools," 19 Oct. 2018 Cordless or corded — what are the advantages of each? — Shanon Maglente, Good Housekeeping, "8 Dyson Vacuum Cleaners Are on Sale for Up to $150 Off," 1 Mar. 2019 Well-made with cording around edges and a flap under the zipper for further protection The testers found this product very comfortable to sleep on. — The Good Housekeeping Institute, Good Housekeeping, "Best Anti-Allergy Bedding," 10 Aug. 2010 The landline telephone — curly corded, cord-free, rotary or with chunky plastic buttons — used to be a fixture of American homes. — Tracey Lien, latimes.com, "More than half of U.S. households have ditched landline phones," 7 June 2018 Compact reciprocating saws - corded or cordless - cost $80-$120, depending on make and model. — Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Fillet blade a cut above the rest for anglers," 6 June 2018 Non-Ombré: Wynn Neon corded rug, $25 at urbanoutfitters.com. — Katy Schneider, The Cut, "Longchamp’s New Flagship, Depop Goes Brick-and-Mortar, and Goat Yoga in Bushwick," 15 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cord.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for cord

Noun

Middle English cord, corde, borrowed from Anglo-French corde "string, rope," going back to Latin chorda, corda "tripe, string of a musical instrument," borrowed from Greek khordḗ "catgut, string of a musical instrument, sausage," in plural "guts, tripe" — more at yarn entry 1

Verb

Middle English corden "to string a bow," in part derivative of cord, corde cord entry 1, in part borrowed from Anglo-French corder "to tie with a cord"

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