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 26-year-old Queens native says her early-morning commute to Manhattan was shattered by a booming beat after two co-passengers joined the ride and plugged an iPhone into the car’s auxiliary cord. — Kiana Cornish, WSJ, "‘Ride from Hell’: Carpooling in the Age of Uber Can Be…Awkward," 6 Dec. 2018 But if not, the Shield remains a deeply flexible box for heavy-duty cord cutters. — Jeff Dunn, Ars Technica, "The Ars Holiday Gift Guide 2018—good tech for the power user in your life," 4 Dec. 2018 NBC News reported that at a fifth location in the county, the machines were not connected to power cords and ran out of battery power. — P.r. Lockhart, Vox, "Voting hours in parts of Georgia extended after technical errors create long lines," 7 Nov. 2018 Because the new x360 is USB-C powered, that means that the power cord can be attached at a convenient angle, or connected via the side of the Spectre, using the other port. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "HP Spectre x360 13 (2018) hands on: 'Whiskey Lake' power sits alongside 22 hours of battery life," 23 Oct. 2018 Her fingers closed around the power cord to the refrigerator. — Todd Pitman, Fox News, "AP WAS THERE: 2013 typhoon kills thousands in Philippines," 15 Sep. 2018 The collection is going to be adjustable, to accommodate IVs and hospital cords if a child is sick. — Kate Bowen, Good Housekeeping, "Our Sweet Baby Girl Had a Heart Attack Before She Was Even Born," 24 Aug. 2018 Tie cord ribbon around middle for a belt and tuck in straw. — Woman's Day Staff, Woman's Day, "50+ Creative Pumpkin Carving Ideas for Halloween," 25 July 2018 Both animatronic figures are sound- and motion-activated, and need to be plugged in to function in your yard, so the Jack Skellington figure has a 10-foot cord, and Sally comes with a 5-foot one. — Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, "You Can Now Buy A Giant, Animatronic Jack Skellington For Your Lawn," 2 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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 Arceo was not at home at the time, and returned to find his wife lying in a pool of blood, and his daughter cording to court records. — Crimesider Staff, CBS News, "Tears, curses fill Utah court as killer of mother of two is sentenced," 12 Apr. 2018 Amazon's best-selling oscillating power tools are also on sale today, the Porter-Cable PCE605K corded oscillating multi-tool kit. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Help Your Sink Gargle Garbage With Today's Amazon Deals," 15 Nov. 2017 Derived from an Egyptian material called Fustian, this corded, velvet-like material has been worn by squires and slackers, but became associated with the working class during the industrial revolution. — Vogue, "The Cords & Co. Opens a Store in SoHo and Exclusively Reveals Its Next Collab with Vogue," 21 Feb. 2018 Sales of most corded window blinds and shades – products blamed for the strangulation deaths of more than 300 U.S. infants and toddlers since 1981 — will come to an end late this year. — Rick Schmitt, kansascity, "Fight to stop child strangulation deaths from window blinds reaches milestone," 26 Jan. 2018 Which means the royal watchers were keeping an eye out for the first signs of a baby bump under her cornflower-blue, corded lace dress from Temperley London. — Jayme Deerwester, USA TODAY, "Duchess Kate returns to work; royal watchers play 'spot the baby bump'," 11 Oct. 2017

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.