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whipcord

whipcord

9.3
A strong, tightly twisted rope used to make parts of a whip or strong laces
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪpˌkɔrd/
translation icon : cordel
  • The cowboy expertly crafted a lasso from a length of whipcord to catch the runaway calf.

Examples

  • A quick swipe of her steel talons, and the whipcord is neatly severed.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • She toys aimlessly with the whipcord, batting at it like a cat with a piece of yarn.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I had the sheriff's posse—Badger Stoltz and ten whipcord guys who took their tin stars seriously—and I had my power suit.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The sturdy whipcord was perfect for repairs, ensuring that the tent would stay upright even in a storm.

  • As he demonstrated, the whipcord held up well under tension, making it ideal for securing heavy loads.

Synonyms

rope
vswhipcord
614 1.0

A thick strong cord made by twisting fibers used for tying or pulling

is harder and more tightly twisted for making lashes and durable fine work
cord
vswhipcord
176 1.0

A thin, flexible length of twisted fibers used for tying things

is much harder and tightly twisted for lashes and other heavy uses

How Strong

cable
  • Specialized
282 2.4
rope
614 1.0
whipcord
9.3
cord
176 1.0
twine
28 3.2
thread
80 1.0

Surface Forms

whipcord singular
whipcords plural

Morphology

whipcord = whip + cord (transparent) = whip + cord

The compound is directly interpretable as a cord associated with whips (a cord for or like a whip), so learners can derive the meaning from its parts.

Etymology

Whipcord comes from the two ordinary words whip and cord, and it first meant the strong, tightly twisted string used as the 'lash' or long part of a whip. So the name reminds you that whipcord is a hard, durable cord made for heavy use.