{{Short description|Elastic cord used for fastening or shock absorption}} thumb|alt=Close-up of bungee cords with metal hooks|Bungee cords with metal hooks
A '''bungee cord''' (also spelled '''bungie''' or '''bungy'''; sometimes called a '''shock cord''' or '''occy strap''') is a stretchable cord made of one or more rubber strands inside a woven cotton or polypropylene cover. When the cord is stretched, the cover tightens around the core, allowing it to extend and return to its original length. Some versions, such as those used in bungee jumping, are made entirely of elastic strands. Bungee cords are often used to fasten or secure objects and to absorb shock.{{Citation needed|date=January 2015}}
== Uses == thumb|upright|alt=Child using a bungee cord ride in a park in Moscow|A child on a bungee cord ride in Moscow, Russia
Early aircraft used bungee cords for light suspension in landing gear, and some small homebuilt planes still use them where low weight is important.<ref>{{cite book |last=Currey |first=Norman S. |title=Aircraft Landing Gear Design: Principles and Practices |publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics |location=Washington, D.C. |date=1988 |isbn=0-930403-41-X}}</ref> They were also once used in parachuting to help open older parachute containers after the ripcord was pulled.{{Citation needed|date=January 2015}}
Today, bungee cords are sold as everyday fastening tools. In Australia, they are called '''octopus straps''' or '''occy straps'''. These may be single cords or several hooked cords joined by a ring to secure items such as luggage on a car roof rack or on the bed of a pickup truck. Similar cords are made as nets for securing irregular loads.{{Citation needed|date=January 2015}}
Bungee cords are also used in furniture design, such as bungee chairs,<ref>{{cite web |last=Kang |first=Julie |title=Bungee Chair 1.0 |url=http://portfolios.risd.edu/gallery/22952531/Bungee-Chair-10 |website=Rhode Island School of Design Portfolios |date=21 January 2015 |access-date=6 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920015601/http://portfolios.risd.edu/gallery/22952531/Bungee-Chair-10 |archive-date=20 September 2015}}</ref> and in other applications that need flexible tension.
== Safety == Bungee cords can cause serious eye or facial injuries if they snap back. Medical studies warn of the risk of vision loss and advise using safer fasteners when possible.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/04/980424032216.htm |title=Bungee Cords Can Cause Severe Eye Damage, Doctor Warns |website=ScienceDaily |date=24 April 1998 |publisher=Ohio State University |access-date=27 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Eye warning as occy straps lash out |url=https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/eye-warning-occy-straps-lash-out |website=University of New South Wales Newsroom |date=20 March 2008 |access-date=15 December 2018}}</ref>
== Etymology == The origin of the word "bungee" is uncertain. The Oxford English Dictionary records its first use in 1938 for launching gliders with an elastic cord.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/bungee |title=bungee – definition of bungee in English |website=Oxford Dictionaries |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160929033601/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/bungee |archive-date=29 September 2016 |access-date=17 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.glidingmagazine.com/FeatureArticle.asp?id=386 |title=Bungy launching explained |website=Gliding Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051230175936/http://www.glidingmagazine.com/FeatureArticle.asp?id=386 |archive-date=30 December 2005 |access-date=28 September 2006}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}} {{Commons category-inline|Bungee cords}}
Category:Fasteners