watch chain

American  

noun

1. a chain, frequently of gold or silver, attached to a pocket watch, serving as an ornament and, when passed through a buttonhole in the vest, as a guard against loss or theft of the watch.

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watch chain British  

noun

1. a chain used for fastening a pocket watch to the clothing See also fob 1

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Etymology

Origin of watch chain

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

It seems that the pandemic helped turbocharge the market, said Steven Kaiser, the president and chief executive of Kennedy USA, a watch chain based in Australia.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2022

She sells her hair to buy a watch chain, and he sells his watch in order to buy her a set of combs for Christmas.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 1, 2021

An imposing-looking man with a shock of gray hair who wore three-piece suits crossed by a watch chain, he was not about to let anyone outflank him in enthusiasm for deportations.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 4, 2019

The sale at Boldon Auction Galleries in South Tyneside also included a plaster cast of his face and hands, and a silver watch chain he wore at work.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2019

In the ash of a large stove they found a length of chain that the jeweler in Holmes’s pharmacy recognized as part of a watch chain Holmes had given Minnie as a gift.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson