piece of rope

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A length of rope cut or broken off from a longer one.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say a piece of rope or several pieces of rope; the plural is pieces of rope.

   Patterns

   • a piece of rope
   • cut a piece of rope
   • tie something with a piece of rope

   He found a piece of rope in the shed and used it to tie the gate shut.

   The dog was chewing a piece of rope that had been left on the deck.

   Cut me a piece of rope about two meters long, please.

2. 2nouncountable

   A short section of rope used for a particular job, such as tying or pulling.

   Grammar: Often followed by a purpose phrase with for or to: a piece of rope for the tent.

   Patterns

   • a piece of rope for something
   • use a piece of rope to do something

   We need a strong piece of rope to pull the boat ashore.

   She keeps a piece of rope in her car for emergencies.

Word forms

Common combinations

a short piece of rope

He tied the boxes together with a short piece of rope.

a length of rope

A length of rope hung from the beam in the barn.

cut a piece of rope

She cut a piece of rope to make a leash.

tie something with a piece of rope

They tied the luggage with a piece of rope.

a loose piece of rope

A loose piece of rope trailed behind the cart.

Synonyms and how they differ

length of rope

Very close in meaning, but it often suggests a measured or longer section, while a piece of rope can be any small scrap.

rope end

Refers specifically to the end part of a rope, not to any separate section.

cord

A thinner, lighter kind of rope; use it when the material is small and fine rather than thick.

Word family

rope noun

The material or thick cord itself, of which a piece is a section.

ropy adjective

Looking like rope or (of food) tough and stringy.

Commonly confused: piece of rope or piece of robe?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “piece of rope”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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