A wire is a flexible, round metal bar used to bear mechanical loads, often in the form of wire rope. In electricity and telecommunications signals, a wire can refer to an electrical cable with a solid core or separate strands. Wire can be cylindrical, square, hexagonal, flattened rectangular, or other cross-sections, used for decorative or technical purposes. Edge-wound coil springs, like the Slinky toy, are made of special flattened wire.