chord

plural chords · alternative dated cord

1. entertainmentA harmonic set of three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously.

   He struck the opening chords of the passage; but this time Irene's voice was silent. Victor stopped in the middle of an arpeggio.

   1956, Delano Ames, chapter 14, in Crime out of Mind

2. geometryA line segment between two points of a curve.

   1 more example

   The simplest method of calculating the radius of a curve in situ is to measure the versine; in railway practice this is done by extending a tape 66 ft. (1 ch.) long in a straight line or chord between two points on the periphery of a curve, and then measuring the maximum distance of the rail from the chord at the centre of the 66 ft. The radius in chains is found by dividing the versine in inches into 99. Thus if a versine measures 3 in., the radius will be 33 ch.

   1941 September, “The Why and the Wherefore: Curves”, in Railway Magazine, page 430

3. engineeringA horizontal member of a truss.
   1. engineeringA section of subsidiary railway track that interconnects two primary tracks that cross at different levels, to permit traffic to flow between them.
4. aeronauticsThe distance between the leading and trailing edge of a wing, measured in the direction of the normal airflow.
5. nauticalAn imaginary line from the luff of a sail to its leech.
6. computingA keyboard shortcut that involves two or more distinct keypresses, such as Ctrl+M followed by P.

   Ctrl-K is the default first key for chords, but you can create chords using any keys that you want.

   2005, James Avery, Visual Studio hacks, page 99

7. The string of a musical instrument.

   Instruments that made melodious Chime Was heard, of Harp and Organ; and who mov'd Their Stops and Chords was seen

   1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

8. anatomyA cord.
9. graph theoryAn edge that is not part of a cycle but connects two vertices of the cycle.

present singular third person chords · participle present chording · participle past chorded · past chorded · alternative dated cord

1. transitiveTo write chords for.

   This chording technique works well for learning any tune, but this is the only tune of the set that I will write out completely as a chorded version.

   2003, Dan Levenson, Clawhammer Banjo from Scratch

2. entertainmentTo accord; to harmonize together.

   This note chords with that one.

3. transitiveTo provide with musical chords or strings; to string; to tune.

   When Jubal struck the chorded shell.

   1687, John Dryden, A Song for Cecilia's Day

   1 more example

   Even the solitary old pine tree chords his harp.

   1862, Henry Ward Beecher, Eyes and Ears