noun
Uncommon
chord
kawd
Chord (noun) means Three or more musical notes played together in harmony. Example: “The guitarist strummed a simple three-chord progression.”
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."
"Press three fingers on the strings to play this chord on the guitar."
2
A straight line segment connecting two points on a curve.
"The engineer measured the chord of the arch."
"Draw a chord across the circle and measure its length with a ruler."
"Any chord that passes through the centre of a circle is called a diameter."
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.
Common pairings
strike a chord
play a chord
major chord
minor chord
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Word forms
- Plural
- chords
- Third person singular
- chords
- Past tense
- chorded
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
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.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for chord
See all rhymes for chord →Frequently asked questions
What does “chord” mean?
The word “chord” means three or more musical notes played together in harmony. In plain terms, a group of musical notes played together, or (in geometry/engineering) a straight line joining two points on a curve.
How do you pronounce “chord”?
“Chord” is pronounced kawd (/kɔɹd/ in IPA).
How do you use “chord” in a sentence?
Here is “chord” used in a sentence: “The guitarist strummed a simple three-chord progression.”
What part of speech is “chord”?
“Chord” is a noun.
Where does the word “chord” come from?
The word “chord” comes from Ancient Greek. A respelling of cord, altered under the influence of Latin chorda ("string of a lyre"), from Ancient Greek khordḗ.
Is “chord” a common word?
“Chord” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “chord” have?
“Chord” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: three or more musical notes played together in harmony.
What is the difference between a chord and a note?
A note is a single musical pitch, while a chord is three or more notes played together in harmony. Chords are built from combinations of individual notes to create harmonic depth in music.
What is the difference between a chord and a chord progression?
A chord is a single group of three or more notes played together, while a chord progression is a sequence of different chords played one after another to build a piece of music. A progression is made up of multiple chords in a chosen order.
How is "chord" different from "cord"?
Despite sounding identical, "chord" and "cord" are spelled differently and mean different things: a chord is a group of musical notes played together, or a straight line segment connecting two points on a curve, while a cord is a length of rope or cable. Mixing up the spelling is a common writing mistake.
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