Chord
/kɔːrd/
Definitions
2 meaningsA combination of three or more musical notes sounded together.
/kɔːrd/
A combination of musical notes played simultaneously.
The guitarist strummed a powerful chord.
💡 Simply: Imagine several musical notes holding hands; that's a chord! It's a group of notes played at the same time to create a beautiful sound, like in a song.
👶 For kids: It's like a group of musical notes singing together!
More Examples
She played a simple chord progression.
How It's Used
"The pianist played a beautiful C major chord."
A straight line segment whose endpoints both lie on a curve.
/kɔːrd/
A straight line segment connecting two points on a curve.
Draw a chord across the circle.
💡 Simply: A chord is like a straight line that connects two points on a round shape, like a circle. Imagine drawing a line across a pizza—that's a chord!
👶 For kids: It's a straight line inside a circle.
More Examples
The longest chord of a circle is its diameter.
How It's Used
"The chord of the circle was measured."
From Middle English *corde, from Old French corde, from Latin chorda "string of a musical instrument," from Greek khordē.
The musical meaning has been prevalent since the Middle Ages, while the geometrical use is more classical.
Memory tip
Think of a 'cord' tying notes together in harmony.