chain gang

noun

1. a group of convicts chained together, especially when working outside.

chain gang

noun

1. a group of convicted prisoners chained together, usually while doing hard labour

Word History and Origins

Origin of chain gang¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

“Alligator Alcatraz” has antecedents in Florida’s historic chain gangs, where Black and queer workers in prison stripes toiled on roadsides and slept in cages often insured by the Charley E. Johns Insurance Agency.

From Salon

Inmates are sentenced to time behind bars, not forced labor, a vestige of chain gangs and slavery.

From Los Angeles Times

Ivey noted it’s one of the only remaining places in the country where a chain gang still operates.

From Seattle Times

And hard labor on road gangs in the Panama Canal Zone looked a lot like the chain gangs used to consign Black people to prison slavery in the South.

From Salon

But as busy as UW’s defense makes the chain gang, it doesn’t overwork the scoreboard operator.

From Seattle Times