chord

¹

[kawrd]

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.

chord

²

[kawrd]

noun

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

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

/ 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

chord

²

/ kɔːd /

noun

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

verb

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

chord

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

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

chord

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.

Other Word Forms

• chorded adjective
• chordal adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of chord¹

C16: from Latin chorda, from Greek khordē gut, string; see _cord

Origin of chord²

C15: short for _accord ; spelling influenced by _chord ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see strike a chord.

Example Sentences

Lang beguiled with common chords that no longer sounded common, with standard rhythms that intertwined, went on and off the beat, creating arrhythmia delight.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

On songs like “Slushy” and “Predictable Girl,” she intertwines a menagerie of robotic, spacey sirens with tinges of Jersey club beats and ’90s-influenced R&B chords.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Their heels reached the last step; a chord struck.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I can’t think of four other words that strike such a chord of dread.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His is the first voice you hear on the album, sending Burns a simple message of love from his hospital bed, over the opening chords of Come Home.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• arc 
• arch 
• contour 
• loop 
• trajectory