Meaning & use
co-ord
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Meanings
nouncountable
A set of clothes made from the same fabric, or in matching colors and patterns, and worn together.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a co-ord or two co-ords; it is usually written with a hyphen.
Patterns
- a co-ord set
- wear a co-ord
- a matching co-ord
She wore a linen co-ord in pale blue to the party.
The store sells co-ords in several prints, and each set comes with a top and wide trousers.
A knit co-ord is an easy way to look put together on a casual day.
nouncountabletechnical
A short form of coordinate: a number or letter that shows a position on a map or graph.
Grammar: Usually plural in this sense: give the co-ords of a point.
Patterns
- the co-ords of a point
- plot the co-ords
The teacher asked us to write down the co-ords of each point on the grid.
Rescue teams used the co-ords from the phone to find the walkers.
Word forms
| plural | co-ords |
|---|
Common combinations
- a co-ord set
- A co-ord set in soft cotton is comfortable for travel.
- a matching co-ord
- She bought a matching co-ord for the wedding.
- wear a co-ord
- He wore a co-ord to the summer party.
- a linen co-ord
- Linen co-ords are popular in hot weather.
- a knit co-ord
- A knit co-ord keeps you warm without a coat.
Synonyms and how they differ
- outfit
- Outfit is the general word for any set of clothes worn together, while a co-ord must be made of matching or identical fabric and colors.
- two-piece
- Two-piece is close in meaning but can also describe a swimsuit or a suit, and it does not always suggest the same fabric.
- suit
- A suit usually means a formal jacket and trousers or skirt; a co-ord is more casual and can be any matching pair.
Word family
- co-ordinate verb
- to make different things work well together.
- co-ordination noun
- the ability to move or organize things smoothly.
- coordinated adjective
- arranged to match or work well together.
Commonly confused: co-ord or coordinate? co-ord or cardigan?
co-ord vs coordinate
Coordinate as a noun means a position on a map or graph, and as a verb means to organize things; the short form co-ord can mean either, but in fashion it means a matching outfit.
co-ord vs cardigan
A cardigan is one knitted item, not a matching set, so it is not a co-ord.
Practice
Which sentence uses co-ord correctly?
Choose one answer.
A co-ord is a matching set of clothes, so the top and skirt example fits. Option 2 needs the verb coordinated, option 3 confuses it with a tool or instruction, and option 4 makes it a food, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “co-ord”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.