Cord
/kɔːrd/noun
A thin length of flexible material used for tying, binding, or hanging things.
Did you know?English cord ultimately comes from Latin *chorda*, borrowed from Greek *khordē*, which originally meant an animal intestine used for strings and later the strings of a musical instrument—proof that “string theory” started with guts and music.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰer-
“to twist, turn, or bend”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χορδή (khordē)
“string, gut, cord; later a musical string”
Latin
Latin
chorda
“string, cord, musical string”
Old French
Old French
corde
“rope, cord”
Middle English
English
cord
“a rope, line, or string”