If something strikes a chord with you, it makes you feel sympathy or enthusiasm. Mr Jenkins' arguments for stability struck a chord with Europe's two most powerful politicians. Grouping of three or more musical tones, especially as sounded simultaneously. The tones C-E-G constitute a "C major chord," or "C major triad." Chords may comprise any number of separate tones, and may be highly dissonant (see consonance and dissonance). The term harmony is often used loosely as a synonym