The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word UMBILICAL
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
U
M
B
I
L
I
C
A
L
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "cord" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case cord = umbilical.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does UMBILICAL mean?
UMBILICAL noun- A cord connecting an astronaut to a spacecraft, or a craft to ground control prior to launch, etc.
- Of, or relating to, the navel (umbilicus) or the umbilical cord.
- Such that the curvatures of normal sections are all equal to each other.