chord

Also called: long chord, chord bearing

The straight line between the two ends of a curve.

The straight-line shortcut between the start and end of a curve, usually reported with its own bearing. Given a chord and its bearing, the geometry of the curve can be recovered even when the arc length is missing from the page.

Where you'll see it

Surveying Basics

How to Read a Metes and Bounds Description

Deeds are written in their own language. Here is how to walk one line by line — and what the closure math is actually telling you at the end.

Related terms in Curves

arc length concave curve delta angle radius tangent

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