chain gang

American

noun

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

chain gang British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of chain gang

First recorded in 1825–35

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.

King was arrested in Atlanta and sentenced to four months on a chain gang.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

The next year, he joined fellow organizers in protesting segregation in Rock Hill, S.C., where he was arrested and refused bail, serving 30 days of hard labor on a chain gang.

From Washington Post • Oct. 13, 2022

When the chain gang went in to measure it, the ball was short of the first down.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 20, 2021

Two men of different races, who loathe each other, escape from a chain gang shackled together.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2020

Drained like I had been working on a chain gang, breaking rocks in the hot sun.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023