cord
/kɔːrd/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
khordē — gut, string of a musical instrument
Overview
Meaning Now
- A thin, flexible string, rope, or cable made of twisted strands.
- A measure of cut wood, equal to 128 cubic feet.
- A raised rib on the surface of a fabric, such as corduroy.
Literal older meaning
string or rope
Language path
Ancient Greek → Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
corde
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The term originates from the use of animal intestines (gut) to create strings for musical instruments, which eventually expanded to describe various types of twisted ropes or cables used in daily life.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
khordē
“intestine, gut, string”
- Latin
chorda
“catgut, string”
borrowed from Greek
- Old French
corde
“rope, cord, string”
- Middle English
corde
“rope, string”
- English
cord
“string, cable, unit of measure”
Connections
Word parts
cord
root
rope or string
Related across languages
French
corde
rope
Spanish
cuerda
rope
Explore next
Related to cord
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.