A chord is a number of musical notes played or sung at the same time with a pleasing effect.
...the opening chords of 'Stairway to Heaven'. [+ of]
2. See also vocal cords
3.
See to strike a chord
chord in British English1
(kɔːd)
noun
1. mathematics
a.
a straight line connecting two points on a curve or curved surface
b.
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
Derived forms
chorded (ˈchorded)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Latin chorda, from Greek khordē gut, string; see cord
chord in British English2
(kɔːd)
noun
1.
the simultaneous sounding of a group of musical notes, usually three or more in number
concord (sense 4), discord (sense 3)
verb
2. (transitive)
to provide (a melodic line) with chords
Derived forms
chordal (ˈchordal)
adjective
Word origin
C15: short for accord; spelling influenced by chord1
chord in American English1
(kɔrd)
noun
1. Archaic
the string of a musical instrument
2.
a feeling or emotion thought of as being played on like the string of a harp
to strike a sympathetic chord
3. Aeronautics
a.
an imaginary straight line extending directly through an airfoil from the leading to the trailing edge
b.
the length of such a line
4. Anatomy
cord (sense 5)
5. Engineering
a principal horizontal member in a rigid framework, as of a bridge
6. Geometry
a straight line segment joining any two points on an arc, curve, or circumference
see also secant (sense 2)
Word origin
altered (infl. by L chorda) < cord
chord in American English2
(kɔrd)
noun
1. Music
a combination of three or more tones sounded together in harmony
verb intransitive, verb transitive
2.
to harmonize
3.
to play chords on (a piano, guitar, etc.)
Derived forms
chordal (ˈchordal)
adjective
Word origin
altered (infl. by L chorda) < ME cord, aphetic < accord, accord
More idioms containing
chord
strike a chord
Examples of 'chord' in a sentence
chord
You show each other some chords and you play.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Why do such stories strike so powerful a chord?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You can write a song with just three chords.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The first chord was played two years ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Penn strikes powerful emotional chords with these characters.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There was one period when he would just play the same three chords on the guitar.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Master these four chords and play thousands of songs.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He needs to learn three chords on the guitar and write a tune.
The Sun (2008)
It was as if his vocal chords were being played at the wrong speed.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The honours arrived like a power chord at the end of a fading guitar solo and took them both by surprise.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You can't have that many chords and time signatures in a show and be tasteful.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The song One struck an emotional chord with the crowd.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We caught each other's eye again in the mirror and smiled as the chords changed.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They stick to three chords; we like to expand it a bit.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I played it and learned it and changed the chords round a little bit.
The Sun (2008)
I always down write lyrics and chord changes.
The Sun (2006)
A wonderful song with a beautiful melody and dreamlike chord changes.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
But that is not to say that public poetry is inevitably worthless, that it cannot strike a chord at the time it is written.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Do you try to record it from a keyboard, or write out top lines and chord symbols in pencil before filling in the full score?
Evans, Andrew The Secrets of Musical Confidence (1994)
Out of the eerie, swirling opening chords a distinctive descending tune emerges, plucked on an acoustic guitar.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One struck a chord.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But I struck one chord of music like the sound of a great Amen.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
American viewers - the modern media landscape is too fragmented for that - but there is cautious optimism that it will still strike a powerful chord.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
chord
British English: chord NOUN
A chord is a number of musical notes played or sung at the same time with a pleasing effect.
I could play a few chords on the guitar.
American English: chord
Brazilian Portuguese: acorde
Chinese: 和弦
European Spanish: acorde
French: accord
German: Akkord
Italian: accordo
Japanese: 和音
Korean: 화음
European Portuguese: acorde
Latin American Spanish: acorde
All related terms of 'chord'
block chord
a two-handed chord played usually in the middle range of the piano with the left hand duplicating or complementing the right-hand notes
chord line
the imaginary straight line joining the leading edge and trailing edge of an aerofoil
ninth chord
a chord much used in jazz and pop, consisting of a major or minor triad with the seventh and ninth added above the root
sixth chord
(in classical harmony ) the first inversion of the triad , in which the note next above the root appears in the bass
altered chord
a chord in which one or more notes are chromatically changed by the introduction of accidentals
broken chord
a chord played as an arpeggio
chord change
a movement from one chord to another
chord symbol
any of a series of letters and numerals , used as a shorthand indication of chords , esp in jazz , folk , or pop music
common chord
a chord consisting of the keynote , a major or minor third, and a perfect fifth
seventh chord
a chord consisting of a triad with a seventh added above the root
eleventh chord
a chord much used in jazz, consisting of a major or minor triad upon which are superimposed the seventh , ninth , and eleventh above the root
inverted chord
a chord in which the notes are transposed such that the root, originally in the bass , is placed in an upper part.
chord progression
movement from chord to chord
strike a chord
to make you respond in an emotional way, for example by feeling sympathy or pleasure
thirteenth chord
a chord much used in jazz and pop, consisting of a major or minor triad upon which are superimposed the seventh , ninth , eleventh , and thirteenth above the root
added sixth chord
a chord much used esp in jazz , consisting of a triad with an added sixth above the root
major seventh chord
a chord much used in modern music, esp jazz and pop, consisting of a major triad with an added major seventh above the root
minor seventh chord
a chord consisting of a minor triad with an added minor seventh above the root
to strike a chord touch a chord
If something strikes a chord with you, it makes you feel sympathy or enthusiasm .
sixth
The sixth item in a series is the one that you count as number six.
diminished seventh chord
a chord often used in an enharmonic modulation and very common in modern music, esp jazz and pop music, consisting of a diminished triad with an added diminished seventh above the root
dominant seventh chord
a chord consisting of the dominant and the major third, perfect fifth , and minor seventh above it. Its most natural resolution is to a chord on the tonic
seventh
The seventh item in a series is the one that you count as number seven.