cord
Other forms: cords; corded; cording
A cord is a thin rope made of strands of twisted material. You might tie a package with a cord or wear a black cord hung with a silver charm around your neck.
Clothing can be decorated with pieces of cord or feature a cord tied like a belt around the waist. Another kind of cord is the electrical kind, which is usually made of plastic. Firewood is measured in units that are also called cords, each one about 128 cubic feet. This type of cord got its name in the 17th century from the way the wood was measured: by tying a length of cord around it.
Definitions of cord
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a line made of twisted fibers or threads“the bundle was tied with a cord”
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types:
- show 51 types...
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agal
a cord (usually of goat's hair) that Arabs (especially Bedouins) wind around their heads to hold down the kaffiyeh
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apron string
(usually used in the plural) a cord used to tie an apron at the waist
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bowstring
the string of an archer's bow
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catgut, gut
a strong cord made from the intestines of sheep and used in surgery
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chenille, chenille cord
a soft tufted cord used in embroidery
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clews
the cords used to suspend a hammock
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clothesline
a cord on which clothes are hung to dry
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fishing line
a length of cord to which the leader and float and sinker and hook are attached
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lace, lacing
a cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment)
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laniard, lanyard
a cord worn around the neck to hold a knife or whistle
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laniard, lanyard
a cord with an attached hook that is used to fire certain types of cannon
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log line
a knotted cord that runs out from a reel to a piece of wood that is attached to it
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piping
a thin strip of covered cord used to edge hems
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perpendicular, plumb line
a cord from which a metal weight is suspended pointing directly to the earth's center of gravity; used to determine the vertical from a given point
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ripcord
a cord that is pulled to open a parachute from its pack during a descent
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ripcord
a cord that is pulled to open the gasbag of a balloon wide enough to release gas and so causes the balloon to descend
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sash cord, sash line
a strong cord connecting a sash weight to a sliding sash
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slack
a cord or rope or cable that is hanging loosely
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static line
a cord used instead of a ripcord to open a parachute; the cord is attached at one end to the aircraft and temporarily attached to the pack of a parachute at the other; it opens the parachute after the jumper is clear of the plane
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string, twine
a lightweight cord
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string
a tightly stretched cord of wire or gut, which makes sound when plucked, struck, or bowed
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thread, yarn
a fine cord of twisted fibers (of cotton or silk or wool or nylon etc.) used in sewing and weaving
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tie
a cord (or string or ribbon or wire etc.) with which something is tied
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whipcord
closely twisted hard cord used for the lashes of whips
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taper, wick
a loosely woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel by capillary action up into the flame
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wick
any piece of cord that conveys liquid by capillary action
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bootlace
a long lace for fastening boots
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candlewick
the wick of a candle
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chalk line, snap line, snapline
a chalked string used in the building trades to make a straight line on a vertical surface
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cotton
thread made of cotton fibers
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dental floss, floss
a soft thread for cleaning the spaces between the teeth
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drawing string, drawstring, string
a tie consisting of a cord that goes through a seam around an opening
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floss
a soft loosely twisted thread used in embroidery
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hand line, handline
a fishing line managed principally by hand
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Lastex
yarn that has an elastic core wound around with cotton or silk or nylon or rayon threads
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lead line, sounding line
(nautical) plumb line for determining depth
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ligature
thread used by surgeons to bind a vessel (as to constrict the flow of blood)
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metallic
a yarn made partly or entirely of metal
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night-line
a fishing line with baited hooks left in the water to catch fish over night
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packthread
a strong three-ply twine used to sew or tie packages
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nap, pile
the yarn (as in a rug or velvet or corduroy) that stands up from the weave
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plumb rule
a plumb line attached to a narrow board
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purl
gold or silver wire thread
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shoe lace, shoe string, shoelace, shoestring
a lace used for fastening shoes
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snare
strings stretched across the lower head of a snare drum; they make a rattling sound when the drum is hit
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suture
thread of catgut or silk or wire used by surgeons to stitch tissues together
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tinsel
a thread with glittering metal foil attached
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setline, spiller, trawl, trawl line, trotline
a long fishing line with many shorter lines and hooks attached to it (usually suspended between buoys)
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warp
yarn arranged lengthways on a loom and crossed by the woof
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filling, pick, weft, woof
the yarn woven across the warp yarn in weaving
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worsted, worsted yarn
a tightly twisted woolen yarn spun from long-staple wool
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type of:
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line
something (as a cord or rope) that is long and thin and flexible
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bind or tie with a cord
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a light insulated conductor for household use
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synonyms:
electric cord
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types:
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extension cord
an electric cord used to extend the length of a power cord
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power cord
a cord to conduct power to an electrical appliance
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type of:
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conductor
a device designed to transmit electricity, heat, etc.
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extension cord
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a unit of amount of wood cut for burning; 128 cubic feet
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type of:
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capacity measure, capacity unit, cubage unit, cubature unit, cubic content unit, cubic measure, displacement unit, volume unit
a unit of measurement of volume or capacity
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capacity measure, capacity unit, cubage unit, cubature unit, cubic content unit, cubic measure, displacement unit, volume unit
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stack in cords
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a cut pile fabric with vertical ribs; usually made of cotton
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synonyms:
corduroy
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types:
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Bedford cord
a heavy corded fabric similar to corduroy; used for clothing
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narrow wale
corduroy with narrow ribs
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wide wale
corduroy with wide ribs
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Bedford cord
Pronunciation
US
/kɔərd/
UK
/kɔd/
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘cord'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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Commonly confused words
chord / cord
Chord and cord sound the same, but a chord is three or more notes played together while a cord is basically a thick string. You strum a chord, but you tie a cord.
Word Family
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