Playing with the strips of cord (6)
I believe the answer is:
piping
This might be a double definition.
'playing' is the first definition.
(piping is a kind of playing)
'strips of cord' is the second definition.
The definition and answer can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?
'with the' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for piping that I've seen before include "Long tubes" , "Descriptive of very hot food" , "really hot" , "Lengths of tube" , "The playing" .)