Cord (unit)

A cord is the amount of wood that, when "racked and well stowed" (arranged so pieces are aligned, parallel, touching, and compact), occupies a volume of 128 cubic feet (3.62 m3).

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 130, section 2.4.1.2,[5] defines a cord and provides uniform regulations for the sale of fireplace and stove wood.

Maine appears unique among U.S. states by also defining a "loose thrown cord" or pile of cut firewood: "A cord of 12 or 16 inches (30 or 41 cm) in length shall mean the amount of wood, bark, and air contained in a space of 180 cubic feet (5.1 m3); and a cord of wood 24 inches (61 cm) in length shall mean the amount of wood, bark, and air contained in a space of 195 cubic feet (5.5 m3).

These are usually taken to mean a well-stacked pile of wood in which the logs are shorter or longer than in a legal cord, to accommodate various burners.

The corde was a unit of volume used before metrication in several French-speaking countries (France, Belgium and Luxembourg).