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

Verb

• accord
• agree
• answer
• check
• cohere
• coincide
• comport
• conform
• consist
• correspond
• dovetail
• fit
• go
• harmonize
• jibe
• rhyme
• rime
• sort
• square
• tally

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

That perspective strikes a chord with Dena Simmons, the founder of LiberatED and an expert in social-emotional learning. —Courtney E. Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2024

Stout's artistic creations transcend geographic and cultural confines, striking a chord with individuals across diverse backgrounds. —Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024

But the Channel 5 broadcast instantly struck a chord with its emphasis on news and events around Los Angeles. —Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024

There was a beautiful, tonal romance to the sub-trend—and the looks (detailed below) struck a more resonant chord in my note-taking than the obvious, sometimes overwhelming flowery garb that otherwise dominated the night. —Nick Remsen, Vogue, 7 May 2024

Linda just strummed a chord and then belted some howling, crazy sound out of her mouth. —Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2024

And while those topics struck an emotional chord with parents, those types of poignant moments mostly tend to go over the heads of many younger viewers. —Kristina Behr, Parents, 3 May 2024

Apple’s Vision Pro hasn’t struck a chord with customers. —Laura Bratton, Quartz, 3 May 2024

These deposit copies can be minimal, sometimes featuring just a vocal melody and indications of chords. —Ben Sisario, New York Times, 2 May 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

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

Medical Definition

chord

noun

ˈkȯrd 

: cord sense 2