chord
1a feeling or emotion: His story struck a chord of pity in the listeners.
Geometry. the line segment between two points on a given curve.
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.
Aeronautics. a straight line joining the trailing and leading edges of an airfoil section.
Anatomy. cord (def. 6).
Origin of chord
1Other words from chord
- chorded, adjective
Words Nearby chord
Other definitions for chord (2 of 2)
a combination of usually three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously.
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?
Origin of chord
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use chord in a sentence
Music director Felton Offard contributes sharp guitar riffs and bluesy harmonica chords as a one-man backup band, separated from Butler by a plexiglass partition.
Arena Stage returns to live performances with an outdoor production of the rousing ‘Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak on It!’ | Thomas Floyd | October 30, 2020 | Washington PostIn the end most teams used smaller models that produced specific parts of a song, like the chords or melodies, and then stitched these together by hand.
To see what makes AI hard to use, ask it to write a pop song | Will Heaven | October 29, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewCable management grommets keep your desktop free of tangled chords, and waterproof and scratch resistant surfaces can handle any amount of wear.
Narrow desks that can turn any corner into a comfortable workspace | PopSci Commerce Team | October 13, 2020 | Popular-ScienceWhat’s more, Nordstrom’s reputation for good customer service struck a chord with Smith, whose company is renowned for its generous returns policy.
In this year’s combustible political atmosphere, its uncontroversial purpose has struck a chord.
And the chord structure, for those of you who play an instrument, is unexpected and worth checking out.
The guitar is tuned to E, and an Eminor chord on a guitar just rings and rings forever.
It does strike a chord when you see just how victimizing some of the media reports can be of Africa.
Idris Elba on Eric Garner, ‘Mi Mandela,’ and Selling Weed to Dave Chappelle | Marlow Stern | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut it is based on the chord structure of what I played before it, except that it was based on a diminished scale.
There were no longer any chord changes, and it was no longer a ballad.
In this position, the line of cavalry formed the chord of the arc described by the river, and occupied by us.
There is quite a little knack in letting the hand fall so, but when you have once got it, the chord sounds much richer and fuller.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayWhen she struck the chord of G minor, it was the right preparation, and brought you immediately into the mood for what followed.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayIt produced comparatively little foundation tone and a powerful chord of harmonics, many of them dissonant.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing MillerNo drooping Clytie could be more constant than I to him who strikes the chord that is responsive in my soul.
The Fifth String | John Philip Sousa
British Dictionary definitions for chord (1 of 2)
/ (kɔːd) /
maths
a straight line connecting two points on a curve or curved surface
the line segment lying between two points of intersection of a straight line and a curve or curved surface
engineering one of the principal members of a truss, esp one that lies along the top or the bottom
anatomy a variant spelling of cord
an emotional response, esp one of sympathy: the story struck the right chord
an imaginary straight line joining the leading edge and the trailing edge of an aerofoil
archaic the string of a musical instrument
Origin of chord
1Derived forms of chord
- chorded, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for chord (2 of 2)
/ (kɔːd) /
the simultaneous sounding of a group of musical notes, usually three or more in number: See concord (def. 4), discord (def. 3)
(tr) to provide (a melodic line) with chords
Origin of chord
2Derived forms of chord
- chordal, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for chord
[ kôrd ]
A line segment that joins two points on a curve.
A straight line connecting the leading and trailing edges of an airfoil.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for chord
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with chord
see strike a chord.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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