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. 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 ² 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 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

Explanation

In music, a chord is three or more notes that combine harmoniously. You can play chords on a piano or guitar, but not on an instrument that plays one note at a time, like a trumpet. Chord comes from the French word for agreement, accord, so in music it means sounds that go together, or agree with each other. You can also use chord figuratively. If a book "strikes a chord" with you, you feel connected to it. In math, a chord is the straight line that connects two points on a curve.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chord

The record concludes with “Tyrants of the Mellow Moon,” a final ode to AutoTune with a circular chord production and unusual synth textures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Watts said that her video "clearly struck a chord with people" - including therapists posting comments about coping mechanisms - and that she wanted to help others deal with climate anxiety.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

For Flores, the EDM-fused, echoing melody “Mejor Sin Ti,” struck a personal chord; could a relationship be the only thing standing in your way to personal success?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

“Some of the dialogue struck a chord with me. It was Buddhism and psychology. ‘Without wisdom, there is no gain.’

From Salon ● May 31, 2026

NOTE: Notice that IV in the key of B flat is an E flat major chord, not an E major chord, and vii in the key of G is F sharp diminished, not F diminished.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• arc
• arch
• contour
• loop
• trajectory