chord
/kɔːd/ (bre, ipa) · /kɔːrd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkȯrd/ (ame, mw)
chord — noun
- chordsingular
- chordsplural
1. a group of musical notes that are sounded at the same moment, creating a single
a group of musical notes that are sounded at the same moment, creating a single sound with a particular emotional quality — for example, a C major chord sounds bright, while a D minor chord sounds sad.
The guitarist played a loud chord, and the crowd cheered.
Aiko learned to play three basic chords on her new ukulele.
collocation: play + chord
The piano teacher showed Ravi how to form a C major chord.
This sad song uses only minor chords throughout the whole piece.
Beatriz held the final chord of the symphony for several seconds.
- single note
one isolated pitch rather than a combination
文法句型
chord + of [notes]
play + chord
[adjective] + chord
用法筆記
A chord is different from an arpeggio: in a chord, all notes sound at once; in an arpeggio, they are played one after another.
常見錯誤
2. a straight segment that connects any two points on the edge of a closed curve, s
a straight segment that connects any two points on the edge of a closed curve, such as a circle — for example, a line from one side of a circle to the other without passing through the centre.
The teacher drew a chord connecting two points on the circle.
collocation: draw + chord
A diameter is a chord that passes through the centre of a circle.
diameter as a special type of chord
Ravi calculated the length of the chord using a geometric formula.
The longest chord in any circle is always the diameter.
- line segment
a more general term for any straight part of a line between two points
- diameter
a chord that goes through the centre — the longest possible chord in a circle
文法句型
chord + of [a circle]
the + chord + between [two points]
用法筆記
In school geometry problems, 'chord' almost always refers to a line inside a circle. On other curves, the term may be called a 'chord of the curve.'
常見錯誤
chord — verb
- chordpresent simple I / you / we / they
- chords3rd person singular
- chording-ing form
- chordedpast simple
1. when playing a guitar, banjo, or similar instrument with strings, to sound group
when playing a guitar, banjo, or similar instrument with strings, to sound groups of notes together in order to accompany a melody or create rhythm.
Theo spent the afternoon chording softly on his acoustic guitar.
collocation: chord + on + instrument
The jazz band chording behind the singer created a rich, warm sound.
Hana is learning to chord while reading sheet music at the same time.
The music teacher showed the beginners how to chord properly on their guitars.
文法句型
chord + on [instrument]
chord + through [song]
chord [instrument]
用法筆記
This verb form is less common than the noun; English speakers more often say 'play chords' than use 'chord' as a verb. Frequently appears in the progressive (e.g., 'He was chording on his guitar').
常見錯誤
2. to adjust or combine musical notes or voices so that they sound pleasing togethe
to adjust or combine musical notes or voices so that they sound pleasing together, producing a smooth and unified overall sound.
The choir director helped the singers chord their voices perfectly for the final piece.
chord + [voices] as object
These two notes do not chord well together when played loudly.
chord + well + together (intransitive)
Priya worked with the quartet to chord the different vocal parts before the concert.
The music theory textbook explains how to chord two melodies into a single line.
- clash
when notes do not sound good together
文法句型
chord + with [voice/instrument]
chord [notes/voices]
用法筆記
Very rare in everyday speech. Most English speakers use 'harmonise' instead. You will mostly encounter this sense in academic writing about music theory or in historical texts.