A wire is a thin, malleable metal strand. The most common way to make wire is to draw the metal through a hole in a draw plate or die. When expressed in terms of a gauge number, wire gauges are available in a variety of common sizes. Mechanical loads are carried by wires, frequently in the form of wire rope. A "wire" can refer to an electrical cable in the context of electricity and telecommunications signals. This type of cable may have a "solid core" made up of a single wire or multiple strands woven together in stranded or braided forms.