cord

1 of 2

noun

ˈkȯrd 

1

a

: 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

3

a

: 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

5

a

: 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

2 of 2

verb

corded; cording; cords

transitive verb

1

: to furnish, bind, or connect with a cord

2

: to pile up (wood) in cords

corder noun

Synonyms of cord

Noun

• cable
• wire
• rope

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

To compete with Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and the threat to the cable bundles, the traditional players started their own streaming services, as older subscribers cut the cord and younger ones never even thought about signing up for cable TV. —Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026

Libra meets water for the first time Libra’s float-out ceremony concluded recently at Fincantieri’s Ancona Shipyard, where a ceremonial cord was cut, allowing water to flow into the ship’s building dock. —Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026

Verb

Compact corded sander for finishing work. —Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 25 Mar. 2026

Crafted from a blend of cotton, polyester, and spandex, the jeans combine comfort with structure, while signature details—like Devil-Dog’s side cording stitch and bandana pocketing—add a distinctive finishing touch. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 23 Mar. 2026

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

Phrases Containing cord

• Bedford cord
• bungee cord
• cord-cutter
• cord-cutting
• extension cord
• face cord
• nerve cord
• patch cord
• rip cord
• silver cord
• spermatic cord
• spinal cord
• umbilical cord

Rhymes for cord

• board
• bored
• chord
• corde
• cored
• fjord
• floored
• gored
• gourd
• hoard
• horde
• lord

Kids Definition

cord

1 of 2 noun

ˈkȯ(ə)rd 

1

: material like a small thin rope that is used mostly for tying things

2

: a bodily structure (as a tendon or nerve) resembling a cord

especially : umbilical cord

3

: a small flexible insulated electrical cable with a plug at one or both ends used for connecting an appliance to an outlet

4

: an amount of firewood equal to a pile of wood 4 × 4 × 8 feet or 128 cubic feet (about 3.6 cubic meters)

5

a

: a rib like a cord on a fabric

b

: a fabric with such ribs

cord

2 of 2 verb

1

: to supply, bind, or connect with a cord

2

: to pile up wood in cords

Medical Definition

cord

noun

ˈkȯ(ə)rd 

1

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

2

: a slender flexible anatomical structure (as a nerve) see spermatic cord, spinal cord, umbilical cord, vocal cord sense 1