blockchain
Americannoun
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a structure used for a distributed or shared database consisting of discrete blocks of data, with each new block secured and connected to earlier ones by cryptography: used to create digital ledgers for cryptocurrency systems, among other things.
Several schools now offer courses in the technology behind blockchain.
Under the scheme, farmers would add information about their produce to a blockchain database that could quickly pinpoint contamination.
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a distributed or shared database created and populated using a structure consisting of discrete blocks of data, with each new block secured and connected to earlier ones by cryptography.
Once the transaction gets verified, it's recorded in the blockchain.
Etymology
Origin of blockchain
First recorded in 2010–15; block ( def. ) + chain ( def. )
Explanation
A blockchain is a shared computer database that's mainly used for keeping records of cryptocurrency transactions. When someone buys or sells Bitcoin, they use a blockchain to safely record the details. A blockchain works like a shared spreadsheet, with data entered into separate cells or columns. The special thing about blockchain is that once information is put into each block, it can't be changed, making it an extremely secure way to store data. The name blockchain comes from the blocks of data, linked together in chains through cryptography.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Blockchain is a sort of digital record applied to cryptocurrency, which is the only currency Polymarket accepts.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
"Blockchain trading is transparent, traceable, and bad actors leave footprints," the spokesman added.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Blockchain data provider TRM Labs estimates that Iranians made over $10 billion in crypto transactions last year.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
For Long Blockchain, formerly Long Island Iced Tea, the move didn’t exactly pan out.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
A provision, intended for the Clarity Act, would prohibit crypto platforms from offering yield on customers’ stablecoin holdings which resemble bank deposits, according to an email from the Blockchain Association and reviewed by Barron’s.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
