A to Z
- Ampacity
- The current a cord carries continuously without overheating; for flexible cord, NEC Table 400.5(A)(1). Ampacity.
- AWG
- American Wire Gauge. Smaller number, thicker conductor: 18 AWG is a lamp cord, 4 AWG is a welder lead.
- Conductor count
- The wires inside the jacket. 14/3 is 14 AWG, three conductors.
- Current-carrying conductor
- A conductor that carries load current under normal use. The grounding conductor never counts; a 3-wire cord has two.
- Cut to length
- One continuous piece at the per-foot price, from the minimum up to the reel. Cut or reel.
- FT2
- A CSA flame-test rating for flexible cord (horizontal flame).
- HAR
- Harmonized: a cord built to the CENELEC harmonized documents and marked for the European market. HAR cords.
- Jacket
- The outer sheath — PVC (thermoplastic, T), rubber, or elastomer (E). The letters.
- mm²
- Conductor cross-section, the metric size. 1.5 mm² ≈ 16 AWG, 2.5 mm² ≈ 14 AWG.
- NACC
- North American Color Code for the conductors: black, white, green. Colour codes.
- Reel
- The spool as the mill wound it, sold whole at the reel price.
- S / SJ
- Hard service (600 V) / junior hard service (300 V).
- Temperature rating
- The insulation's working range, printed on the jacket — 60 °C, 90 °C or 105 °C, and a cold rating (−40 °C on the rubber types).
- Voltage drop
- The volts lost along the run; kept under 3 % by stepping up the gauge. Voltage drop.
- W
- Weather: rated for outdoor and wet locations, sunlight-resistant jacket.