straight-chain

[streyt-cheyn]

noun

Chemistry.

1. an open chain of atoms, usually carbon, with no side chains attached to it.

straight chain

noun

1. Compare branched chain

   1. an open chain of atoms in a molecule with no attached side chains

   2. ( as modifier )

      a straight-chain hydrocarbon

straight chain

1. An arrangement of atoms of the same type that forms an unbranched open chain. Propane is a straight-chain compound with a chain of three carbon atoms.

Word History and Origins

Origin of straight chain¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

But proteins are rarely in the form of a long straight chain of molecules.

From MSNBC

Microbes consume the simpler, "straight chain" hydrocarbons -- and the warmer it is, the more they eat.

From Washington Post

From Dusky Bay, according to Cook, to 44° 20' latitude, there is a straight chain of hills which rise directly from the sea, and are covered with forests.

From Project Gutenberg