Cord (unit)
The cord is a unit of measure of dry volume used to measure firewood and pulpwood in the United States and Canada.
A cord is the amount of wood that, when "racked and well stowed", occupies a volume of. This corresponds to a well-stacked woodpile high, wide, and deep; or any other arrangement of linear measurements that yields the same volume.
The name cord probably comes from the use of a cord or string to measure it.
The face cord is a unit of volume for stacked firewood, high, wide, and deep—equal to 1/3 of a cord. The symbol for the unit is fc - cd.
Definitions
In Canada, the cord is legally defined by Measurement Canada. The cord is one of three legal standards for the sale of firewood in Canada: stacked cubic meter, cubic foot, and cord.In the United States, the cord is defined by statute in most states. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 130, section 2.4.1.2, defines a cord and provides uniform regulations for the sale of fireplace and stove wood. In the metric system, wood is usually measured in steres and cubic meters: 1 stere = 1 m3 ≈ 0.276 cords.
Maine appears unique among U.S. states by also defining a "loose thrown cord" or pile of cut firewood: "A cord of in length shall mean the amount of wood, bark, and air contained in a space of ; and a cord of wood in length shall mean the amount of wood, bark, and air contained in a space of. "
Other non-official terms for firewood volume include standing cord, kitchen cord, running cord, face cord, fencing cord, country cord, long cord, and rick, all subject to local variation. 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. For example, a face cord commonly consists of wood that is long. The volume of a face cord therefore is typically 1/3 of the volume of a full cord even though it is long and high. A face cord is also called a rick in the midwestern United States.
The term is used in other English-speaking countries, such as New Zealand, but may not have a legal definition.