whipcord

[ hwip-kawrd, wip- ]

/ ˈʰwɪpˌkɔrd, ˈwɪp- /

a cotton, woolen, or worsted fabric with a steep, diagonally ribbed surface.

a strong, hard-twisted cord, sometimes used for the lashes of whips.

a cord made from the intestines of animals; catgut.

Origin of whipcord

First recorded in 1275–1325, whipcord is from the Middle English word wyppe-cord. See whip, cord

After I go up and close the trap, do you creep along by the whipcord to where the nail is driven in.

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe |Edgar Allan Poe
He was strong, his muscles were like whipcord, and his condition was perfect.

The Tempting of Tavernake |E. Phillips Oppenheim
He sucked it in, and the tensions that kept his body all steel springs and whipcord relaxed a little.

Planet of the Gods |Robert Moore Williams
These things take it out of one, unless one is made of cast-iron like Crayford, or steel like Mulworth, or whipcord like Jimber.

The Way of Ambition |Robert Hichens

The veins stood out on his damp forehead like whipcord, but he returned their fierce gaze with a dogged firmness.

Faithful Margaret |Annie Ashmore

whipcord

/ (ˈwɪpˌkɔːd) /

a strong worsted or cotton fabric with a diagonally ribbed surface

a closely twisted hard cord used for the lashes of whips, etc