: an arrangement of atoms represented in a structural formula by a chain whose ends are not joined so as to form a ring
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThat left only two five-vertex configurations still open: the pentagon (or really any five-sided polygon), also called a five-cycle, and the five-vertex path, which consists of four line segments linked together, forming an open chain.Quanta Magazine, 26 Apr. 2021
Word History
First Known Use
1880, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
open chain
noun
: an arrangement of atoms represented in a structural formula by a chain whose ends are not joined so as to form a ring