chord

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈkȯrd 

: three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously

chord

2 of 3

verb

chorded; chording; chords

intransitive verb

1

: accord

2

: to play chords especially on a stringed instrument

transitive verb

1

: to make chords on

2

: harmonize

chord

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: cord sense 3a

2

: a straight line segment joining and included between two points on a circle

broadly : a straight line joining two points on a curve

3

: an individual emotion or disposition

struck a responsive chord

4

: either of the two outside members of a truss connected and braced by the web members

5

: the straight line distance joining the leading and trailing edges of an airfoil

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• emotion
• feeling
• passion
• sentiment

Examples of chord in a Sentence

Verb

the revised system chords perfectly with the original goals

Noun (2)

the story of the family's woes struck a sympathetic chord with newspaper readers

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There’s hope coursing through every chord, so much so that lyrics feel like a bonus accessory here as opposed to a necessity. —Kyle Denis, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2024

CXOs need to be effective storytellers and develop the ability to balance the focus on numbers and metrics with articulating a vision in a way that strikes an emotional chord and galvanizes the ecosystem. —S. Venkatesh, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Verb

Hypersonic passenger planes, deep-sea thermal-energy power plants, chording keyboards—all have their adherents, eager to jump at the chance of covering their infatuation. —IEEE Spectrum, 29 May 2024

With the brand new Mike McCready Stratocaster, the artist now has a guitar designed to his specifics, including a custom pickup set to sound like his 1960 Stratocaster, a six-point tremolo, and a fingerboard radius that has enough arc for chording and easier note bending. —Daniel Kohn, Spin, 12 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alteration of Middle English cord, short for accord

Noun (2)

alteration of cord entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1608, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chord

• power chord
• seventh chord
• sixth chord
• strike/touch a chord in/with

Kids Definition

chord

1 of 3 noun

ˈkȯrd 

: a group of three or more tones sounded together to form harmony

chordal

-əl

adjective

chord

2 of 3 verb

: to play chords

chord

3 of 3 noun

: a straight line between two points on a curve