I can understand being confused with this pair of word confusions cord and cored. They do sound alike — they are heterographs (a subset of homophone after all.
But it still doesn’t excuse “she pulled the cored”. Especially since no fruit was involved but there was an extension cord.
Cord is both noun and verb — and primarily used as the noun and usually referring to some sort of string or cable composed of several strands.
Cored is the past tense/past participle verb tense of core and primarily refers to removing something, although it also may build something in which the base is different from the inside.
This post strictly explores cored and not its root word, core. The root word also encompasses an abbreviation, an adjective, a combining form, and a noun.
Exploring Later . . .
You may also want to explore “Chord versus Cord” and “Core vs Corps vs Corpse“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Cord | Cored |
|---|---|
 |
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| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun; Verb, transitive
Plural for the noun: cords Third person present verb: cords |
Morpheme: core
Verb, transitive Third person present verb: cores |
| Noun: Long, thin, flexible string or rope made from several twisted strands
Length of such material, typically one used to fasten or move a specified object Ribbed fabric, especially corduroy
A moral, spiritual, or emotional bond Any influence that binds or restrains A measure of cut wood, usually 128 cubic feet Verb, transitive: Furnish, bind, or connect with a length of string or rope Pile up (wood) in cords |
Remove the tough central part and seeds from (a fruit)
Remove (a cylindrical sample) from something, such as a glacier, soil layer Remove small plugs of sod from (turf) in order to aerate it Form or build with a base or innermost part consisting of a different substance from that of the covering or outer part |
| Examples: | |
| Noun: She wore the key on a cord around her neck. Where’s the cord that ties back the curtains? There are bungee cords in the workshop. How many cords of wood should we get this year? Mom, where’s my yellow cord shirt? His spinal cord was cut in half. You have to cut the umbilical cord. My cords have lost the cording on the inner thighs. There’s an emotional cord between those two. Verb, transitive: You need to cord the blind. Don’t ask why, but Jackson’s bungee cording shoeboxes of cookies to our bikes as we set out on a long early evening tour of the bike path. |
For this dessert, you must peel and core the pears.
Ramp up the oven to 450° and put 4 large, cored tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet for 35-ish minutes, until their skin is browned. “Mountain glaciers have been cored in the Andes, the Himalayas, and on Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa very near the equator” (Editors). I had the lawn cored the other day, so we can re-seed the bare spots. We cored out the beam to insert the ball bearing. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: corded, cordlike Noun: corder, cording |
Adjective: coreless Noun: corer, coring |
| History of the Word: | |
| The first known use was in the 15th century.
Middle English, which evolved from the Old French corde, which evolved from the Latin chorda, which itself evolved from the Greek khordē meaning gut, string of a musical instrument. |
Middle English, of unknown origin. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Cord vs Cored
Apple Dictionary.com
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Core Sampling.” <https://www.britannica.com/technology/core-sampling>.
Lexico.com: cord
Merriam Webster: cording, cord
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Commercial Type III Paracord by David J. Fred is under the CC BY-SA 2.5 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
Revised as of 9 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie