noun
chord
kawd
noun
1
Three or more musical notes played together in harmony.
"The guitarist strummed a simple three-chord progression."
"She learned to play the C major chord on piano."
2
A straight line segment connecting two points on a curve.
"The engineer measured the chord of the arch."
How to Use Chord
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA group of musical notes played together, or (in geometry/engineering) a straight line joining two points on a curve.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with cord (a length of rope or an electrical cable) — "chord" is for music and geometry, "cord" is for string/rope/cables.
Easily confused with
cord →
cored
Common pairings
strike a chord
play a chord
major chord
minor chord
Word Forms
chorded past tense, chords plural, chords singular
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Fill the Gap
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The guitarist strummed a simple three-_____ progression.
Etymology
A respelling of cord, altered under the influence of Latin chorda ("string of a lyre"), from Ancient Greek khordḗ.