chord

¹ American  

[kawrd] / kɔrd /

noun

1. a feeling or emotion.

   His story struck a chord of pity in the listeners.

2. Geometry. the line segment between two points on a given curve.

3. Engineering, Building Trades. a principal member of a truss extending from end to end, usually one of a pair of such members, more or less parallel and connected by a web composed of various compression and tension members.

4. Aeronautics. a straight line joining the trailing and leading edges of an airfoil section.

5. Anatomy. cord.

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chord ² American  

[kawrd] / kɔrd /

noun

1. a combination of usually three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously.

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verb (used with object)

1. to establish or play a chord or chords for (a particular harmony or song); harmonize or voice.

   How would you chord that in B flat?

chord ¹ British  

/ kɔːd /

noun

1. maths

   1. a straight line connecting two points on a curve or curved surface

   2. the line segment lying between two points of intersection of a straight line and a curve or curved surface

2. engineering one of the principal members of a truss, esp one that lies along the top or the bottom

3. anatomy a variant spelling of cord

4. an emotional response, esp one of sympathy

   the story struck the right chord

5. an imaginary straight line joining the leading edge and the trailing edge of an aerofoil

6. archaic the string of a musical instrument

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chord ² British  

/ kɔːd /

noun

1. the simultaneous sounding of a group of musical notes, usually three or more in number See concord discord

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verb

1. (tr) to provide (a melodic line) with chords

chord Scientific  

/ kôrd /

1. A line segment that joins two points on a curve.

2. A straight line connecting the leading and trailing edges of an airfoil.

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chord Cultural  

1. In music, the sound of three or more notes played at the same time. The history of Western music is marked by an increase in complexity of the chords composers use.

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chord Idioms  

1. see strike a chord.

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Other Word Forms

• chordal adjective
• chorded adjective

Etymology

Origin of chord¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin chorda < Greek chordḗ gut, string; replacing cord in senses given

Origin of chord²

1350–1400; earlier cord, Middle English, short for accord; ch- from chord ¹

Example Sentences

Veloso had grown up in São Paulo, a far cry from the Pacific Northwest, but the script struck a chord with the cinematographer, who first worked with Bentley on 2021’s “Jockey.”

From Los Angeles Times

Jelly of the Month Club hits every beat and chord with precision, with arrangements of songs and medleys that bring together the power of rock’s past with the whimsy of “Peanuts.”

From Los Angeles Times

In the best tradition of country music, his 1995 masterpiece is the proverbial three chords and the truth.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is also striking a personal chord with millions of Americans who are weighing their aging relatives’ desire for independence against the many safety concerns associated with aging in their own homes, writes Clare Ansberry.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Nancy Guthrie case, while a nightmare for one high-profile family, is striking a personal chord with millions of Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• arc
• arch
• contour
• loop
• trajectory