chord

1 of 3

noun (1)

: 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

chord

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
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

Examples of chord in a Sentence

Verb the revised system chords perfectly with the original goals
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The film struck a chord with audiences and has grossed $8.5 million to date, more than three times its budget. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024 The track opens with his trademark strumming of acoustic guitar chords, gradually transitioning into a catchy mid-tempo rhythm that blends urban music with cumbia influences. Griselda Flores, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2024 Rabid fans drowned his phrasings by shouting every lyric and squealing at every chord change. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024 The party’s message struck a chord with many Portuguese who did not vote before and attracted young voters through powerful social media outreach. Emma Bubola, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Clay’s journey on Love is Blind struck a chord with me; from joining his married father on dates with other women to his fear of faithfulness to AD. Essence, 16 Mar. 2024 The rapid-fire sotto-voce chords that launch the Scherzo went off with purring finesse; the coda of the first movement became an exuberant one-man stampede. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Yet Rains made numerous new arguments in his most recent legal filing asking to have the first-term district attorney removed from the case, which appeared to strike a different chord with the judge. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024 In a fiercely competitive primary, Moreno's appeal as an outsider struck a chord with voters, portraying him as someone poised to challenge the norms of Washington. Jeremy Yurow, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
Verb
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

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chord.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of chord was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near chord

Cite this Entry

“Chord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chord. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

chord

1 of 3 noun
: 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

Medical Definition

chord

noun

More from Merriam-Webster on chord

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!