means A thin length of twisted fiber or cord used for tying, binding, or hanging things, or by extension a connected sequence of items (a string of pearls, a string of bad luck).

from From Old English 'streng,' meaning a line, cord, or rope, with cousins across the Germanic family (Old Norse 'strengr,' German 'Strang'). It traces back to a Proto-Germanic root tied to the idea of something drawn taut or twisted tight — the same deep root that likely gives us 'strong' and 'strength,' since a good cord, like a strong person, is one that holds under tension.