What does "cord" mean?
A long, thin, flexible length of twisted yarns (strands) of fibre (a rope, for example).
Cord
/kɔɹd/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A long, thin, flexible length of twisted yarns (strands) of fibre (a rope, for example).
- Grammar: cord is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: anatomical cord, beam, belay, billet.
- Useful contrasts: spars.
- Usage evidence: Bolas are made up of a long cord with two stone balls at the free ends.
How to use "cord"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cord" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cord" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cord" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cord" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cord" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anatomical cord" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cord", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A long, thin, flexible length of twisted yarns (strands) of fibre (a rope, for example). countable
"The burglar tied up the victim with a cord."
- 2 a line made of twisted fibers or threads wordnet
- 3 Any quantity of such material when viewed as a mass or commodity. uncountable
"He looped some cord around his fingers."
- 4 a cut pile fabric with vertical ribs; usually made of cotton wordnet
- 5 A small flexible electrical conductor composed of wires insulated separately or in bundles and assembled together usually with an outer cover; the electrical cord of a lamp, sweeper ((US) vacuum cleaner), or other appliance. countable, uncountable
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a light insulated conductor for household use wordnet
- 7 A unit of measurement for firewood, equal to 128 cubic feet (4 × 4 × 8 feet), composed of logs and/or split logs four feet long and none over eight inches diameter. It is usually seen as a stack four feet high by eight feet long. countable, uncountable
"Unerringly impelling this dead, impregnable, uninjurable wall, and this most buoyant thing within; there swims behind it all a mass of tremendous life, only to be adequately estimated as piled wood is—by the cord; and all obedient to one volition, as the smallest insect."
- 8 a unit of amount of wood cut for burning; 128 cubic feet wordnet
- 9 Any influence by which persons are caught, held, or drawn, as if by a cord. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"Clear-headed friend, whose joyful scorn, / Edged with sharp laughter, cuts atwain / The knots that tangle human creeds, / The wounding cords that bind and strain / The heart until it bleeds, […]"
- 10 Any structure having the appearance of a cord, especially a tendon or nerve. countable, uncountable
"spermatic cord; spinal cord; umbilical cord; vocal cords"
- 11 Dated form of chord. alt-of, countable, dated, uncountable
- 12 Misspelling of chord, a cross-section measurement of an aircraft wing. alt-of, countable, misspelling, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To furnish with cords.
- 2 bind or tie with a cord wordnet
- 3 To tie or fasten with cords.
- 4 stack in cords wordnet
- 5 To flatten a book during binding.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To arrange (wood, etc.) in a pile for measurement by the cord.
Antonyms
Example
"Bolas are made up of a long cord with two stone balls at the free ends."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cord"?
Common synonyms include: anatomical cord, beam, belay, billet, binding, board.
How do you use "cord" in a sentence?
Bolas are made up of a long cord with two stone balls at the free ends.
How do you pronounce "cord"?
Pronounced /kɔɹd/.
Etymology
From Middle English corde, from Old French corde, from Latin chorda, from Ancient Greek χορδή (khordḗ, “string of gut, the string of a lyre”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰerH- (“bowels, intestines”)). Doublet of chord and cuerda. More at yarn and hernia.