A cable is two or more wires bound together which may be bare or covered or insulated. It may be protected by a jacket sheath which protects all. Electrical cables can also act as carriers for other media, including optical fibers.
Cables may be made flexible by stranding, usually twisting or braiding. Smaller individual wires allows more flexibility. Bunching small wires before concentric stranding adds the most flexibility. A thin coat of tin on the individual wires provides lubrication for longest life. Tight lays during stranding makes the cable extensible (as in telephone handset cords).
Types of cable
See also