✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

silver cord

noun

: the emotional tie between a mother and a child and especially a son

Word History

Etymology

The Silver Cord (1926), play by Sidney Howard

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of silver cord was in 1942

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Silver cord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silver%20cord. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!