cord

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noun

ˈkȯrd

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

: the hangman's rope

: a moral, spiritual, or emotional bond

: an anatomical structure (such as a nerve or tendon) resembling a cord

especially : umbilical cord sense 1a

: 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

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

: 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

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verb

corded; cording; cords

transitive verb

: to furnish, bind, or connect with a cord

: to pile up (wood) in cords

corder noun

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 one potentially annoying detail is the external battery, which is attached by a cord and needs to be tucked away or held while using the mask. —

Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2023 The lightweight aluminum pole with a shock cord gives ample head and shoulder room inside—just be careful to not overextend the shock cord to preserve its lifespan. —

Maggie Slepian, Popular Mechanics, 5 Sep. 2023 Full moon rituals, like envisioning cutting cords with your soul tie, or burning a piece of paper with their name, can also be helpful, say Caracappa and Montúfar. —

Jacqueline Tempera, Women's Health, 3 Sep. 2023 Thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles rose sharply across the U.S. over the past two years after a TikTok challenge instructing people how to steal the vehicles using a USB cord and a screwdriver went viral. —

Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 31 Aug. 2023 Do not use electric appliances with plugs or cords. —

Staff Reports, The Arizona Republic, 31 Aug. 2023 Television and movie lovers who cut the cable cord in favor of online streaming can take advantage of a free service offered by the Carroll County Public Library system. —

Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 26 Aug. 2023 For years, live sports has been the thing that has kept fans from fully cutting cable cords. —

Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 25 Aug. 2023 Back in Canada, Lind looked to expand Rogers’ cable and mobile phone footprint, before Canadians in increasing numbers chose to cut the cable cord and opt for foreign streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. —

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Aug. 2023

Verb

The frame is shock corded and color coded for easy setup and no tools are required. —

Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2023 Makita’s power tool is a stout, left-blade corded circular saw. —

Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 10 Aug. 2023 The best hedge trimmers for budget-conscious shoppers is the Greenworks corded electric hedge trimmer. —

Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2023 Traditional corded steam irons offer unlimited ironing time and steady heating but are limited in movement by their long cords. —

Good Housekeeping, 6 May 2023 To an extent, all three models—dubbed the Original, the San Antonio, and the Old Friend—tell a story, though the medium is leather and cording rather than guitar and vocals. —

Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 22 June 2023 Many of the best pool cleaners are corded, but this Aiper model separates itself from the pack with a wireless, compact style. —

Jamie Weissman, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2023 Out of the top-scoring leaf blowers overall, three were cordless and one was corded. —

Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023 Can lightning travel through a faucet or corded phone line? —

Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 26 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cord.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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"

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of cord was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century