chord

chord (kôrd) [key], in geometry, straight line segment both end points of which lie on the circumference of a circle or other curve; it is a segment of a secant. A chord passing through the center of a circle is a diameter. In the same circle or in equal circles, equal chords subtend equal arcs and equal central angles.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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