chord

/kɔərd/

/kɔd/

Other forms: chords; chorded; chording

In music, a chord is three or more notes that combine harmoniously. You can play chords on a piano or guitar, but not on an instrument that plays one note at a time, like a trumpet.

Chord comes from the French word for agreement, accord, so in music it means sounds that go together, or agree with each other. You can also use chord figuratively. If a book "strikes a chord" with you, you feel connected to it. In math, a chord is the straight line that connects two points on a curve.

Definitions of chord

1. noun

   a combination of three or more notes that blend harmoniously when sounded together
   types:

   arpeggio

   a chord whose notes are played in rapid succession rather than simultaneously

   sforzando

   an accented chord

   common chord, triad

   a three-note major or minor chord; a note and its third and fifth tones

   seventh chord

   a triad with a seventh added

   type of:

   musical note, note, tone

   a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound
2. verb

   play chords on (a string instrument)
   type of:

   play

   perform music on (a musical instrument)
3. verb

   bring into consonance, harmony, or accord while making music or singing
   synonyms: harmonise, harmonize

   types:

   key

   regulate the musical pitch of

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
4. noun

   a straight line connecting two points on a curve
   type of:

   straight line

   a line traced by a point traveling in a constant direction; a line of zero curvature