a series of objects connected one after the other, usually in the form of a series of metal rings passing through one another, used either for various purposes requiring a flexible tie with high tensile strength, as for hauling, supporting, or confining, or in various ornamental and decorative forms.
Often chains. something that binds or restrains; bond.
the chain of timidity; the chains of loyalty.
chains,
shackles or fetters.
to place a prisoner in chains.
bondage; servitude.
to live one's life in chains.
Nautical. (in a sailing vessel) the area outboard at the foot of the shrouds of a mast: the customary position of the leadsman in taking soundings.
a series of things connected or following in succession.
a chain of events.
a range of mountains.
a number of similar establishments, as banks, theaters, or hotels, under one ownership or management.
Chemistry. two or more atoms of the same element, usually carbon, attached as in a chain.
Surveying, Civil Engineering.
a distance-measuring device consisting of a chain of 100 links of equal length, having a total length either of 66 feet (20 meters) Gunter's chain, or surveyor's chain or of 100 feet (30 meters) engineer's chain.
a unit of length equal to either of these.
a graduated steel tape used for distance measurements. ch
Mathematics. totally ordered set.
Football. a chain 10 yards (9 meters) in length for determining whether a first down has been earned.
to fasten or secure with a chain.
to chain a dog to a post.
to confine or restrain.
His work chained him to his desk.
Surveying. to measure (a distance on the ground) with a chain or tape.
Computers. to link (related items, as records in a file or portions of a program) together, especially so that items can be run in sequence.
to make (a chain stitch or series of chain stitches), as in crocheting.
drag the chain, to lag behind or shirk one's fair share of work.
in the chains, standing outboard on the channels or in some similar place to heave the lead to take soundings.
a flexible length of metal links, used for confining, connecting, pulling, etc, or in jewellery
(usually plural) anything that confines, fetters, or restrains
the chains of poverty
Also called: snow chains. (usually plural) a set of metal links that fit over the tyre of a motor vehicle to increase traction and reduce skidding on an icy surface
a number of establishments such as hotels, shops, etc, having the same owner or management
( as modifier )
a chain store
a series of related or connected facts, events, etc
a series of deals in which each depends on a purchaser selling before being able to buy
(of reasoning) a sequence of arguments each of which takes the conclusion of the preceding as a premise See (as an example) sorites
Also called: Gunter's chain. a unit of length equal to 22 yards
Also called: engineer's chain. a unit of length equal to 100 feet
chem two or more atoms or groups bonded together so that the configuration of the resulting molecule, ion, or radical resembles a chain See also open chain ring 1
geography a series of natural features, esp approximately parallel mountain ranges
informal free from responsibility
informal to tease, mislead, or harass someone
surveying to measure with a chain or tape
to confine, tie, or make fast with or as if with a chain
to sew using chain stitch
A group of atoms, often of the same element, bound together in a line, branched line, or ring to form a molecule.
◆ In a straight chain, each of the constituent atoms is attached to other single atoms, not to groups of atoms.
◆ In a branched chain, side groups are attached to the chain.
◆ In a closed chain, the atoms are arranged in the shape of a ring.
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English chayne, from Old French chaeine, from Latin catēna “fetter”; see catena
A chain is a long series of connected metal links. Chains are strong and flexible, so they're useful for pulling a heavy load or securing a dangerous animal. The chain that anchors a ship to a dock or secures a warehouse door is just a larger version of the gold chain you wear around your neck — both are made of loops of metal. More figurative types of chains include things that hold you back, like the chains of your responsibility to your family, or connected occurrences — like a chain of events that leads to you meeting your best friend.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Greggs, the UK's largest fast-food chain, has launched a range of new products this year, many of which latch onto trends such as high-protein salads and matcha.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
However, the chain last week said “we don’t believe the ingredients we source are associated” with the outbreak.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Executives said the improvements, which Starbucks calls its Green Apron Service standards, are working, though investors are waiting to see how friendly baristas will translate into more profit for the chain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
In a July 2025 text chain, an agent pondered whether facial recognition tools could be used to identify people on TikTok who admitted to being in the country illegally.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
In the summer the dogs live in the kennel area, each dog with his own house, on a chain that allows him to move in a circle.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
The Jesus and Mary Chain cropped up a few times among suggestions for a Scottish Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Rodrigo, fresh off the release of her junior album, on Monday unveiled her Daisy Chain Fields music festival and the roster of all-women artists set to take over Irvine’s Great Park on Aug. 29.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Chain pizza is just so similar to fast-food hamburgers, why bother?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
The Biden administration demonstrated what successful analysis and action-oriented coordination could achieve, with its agency-led supply-chain studies and interagency Supply Chain Resilience Council.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
The rest of us called working there the Chain Gang.
From "Seedfolks" by Paul Fleischman
Restaurant chains have had a rough year, due to cautious consumers and this summer’s cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
FCC chairman Brendan Carr said the agency was doing its part "to secure America's critical supply chains".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Morrison has recruited other executives to Jersey Mike’s, including former Wingstop colleagues and some from other private equity backed chains, such as Krispy Kreme.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Island arcs, chains of volcanoes that develop above subduction zones where one oceanic plate descends beneath another, are often unusually rich in gold.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
We didn’t have a Christmas tree, but we’d made paper chains in school, and Ma dug out our wispy old tinsel garlands.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
"You were not chained to a door or something, right? You were not locked up in a basement. The chains were less obvious, but they were there."
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Nobody knows how, since the bell’s been chained up for such a long time that the metal links have rusted.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
AI also has helped accelerate the microshift movement by taking over lower-level tasks that keep people chained to their desks during specific hours, such as sorting and responding to emails.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Outside the capital's national police facility known as Zone 7, family members had chained themselves to prison gates, while some had spent weeks sleeping in tents.
From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026
“I am afraid we were getting chained to the job...and I am glad that we are free.”
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Adding eight gigawatts of new demand to a 2.4 gigawatt system is like chaining an M1 Abrams tank to a Toyota Camry and expecting the two vehicles to drive calmly down the highway together.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
You and your husband have gone from wanting to sell this house to actually chaining yourself to the house and the future occupants.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 21, 2026
“They were chaining the steps in behind us,” Seals said, “so we didn’t have a way out, really.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2024
Ben Williamson, who works for PeTA, says that the new box shows that people today no longer accept “the chaining and caging of wild animals.”
From NewsForKids.net ● Apr. 23, 2024
“We’re going to reenact the story of Our Lady of Chains. We’re taking her over to the honey house and chaining her in there for the night.”
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
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.
