Definition of chain in English:

chain

noun tʃeɪntʃeɪn

1A series of linked metal rings used for fastening or securing something, or for pulling loads.
he slid the bolts on the front door and put the safety chain across
the drug dealer is being kept in chains
Example sentencesExamples
- They yanked on her chains forcing her to bend and twist at their will like a puppet on strings.
- Prisoners in chains appear in the Mutombo, Kalema, and Nguba paintings.
- The second time he did the trick with me, he pulled the chain… and the links kinked up and caught together, preventing the loop from falling apart.
- There were heavy, rusty chains around her wrists and ankles that hurt when they tightened.
- Four men in a stolen red Vauxhall Cavalier attacked the stand-alone cash machine by placing a metal chain around it and pulling it out onto the pavement.
- More often than not, temple elephants kept in chains and overfed without enough exercise become fat.
- Elephants are tethered by chains so people can climb on them for a cute photo for a fee of 10 yuan.
- In that performance, the magician was tied with metal chains and secured by 50 locks.
- The coils are contained within a steel cylinder fitted with fins, which would float just below the surface of the water, anchored to the sea-bed by chains, and rotated by the force of the tides.
- The guards jerked at the chains forcing the slaves to stumble forward as they were led towards the huge mansion.
- He was taken away in chains while the villagers looked on and cheered.
- He lunged forward, but the heavy chains around his ankles brought him crashing back down to the ground.
- They hung off the ground and were suspended by massive chains attached to the ceiling.
- I followed him into the room and he yanked a chain hanging from the ceiling.
- He had a collar around his neck with a chain dangling from it.
- Olivier was shackled with 25 pounds of chains and forced to sleep on a hard concrete prison floor for over eight years.
- Future projects for the most famous illusionist since David Copperfield include being thrown off Tower Bridge while tied in chains and weighted down with lead.
- Four feet of open air separated them, and four feet of heavy chain bound them together.
- The Rainbow Warrior had been blockading the military port until police boarded the ship on Saturday night and cut her anchor chain forcing the ship into dock.
- Then began the search for a chain or strong rope.
Synonyms
fetters, shackles, bonds, irons, leg irons, manacles, handcuffs
informal cuffs, bracelets
archaic trammels, gyves, darbies, bilboes
1. 1.1 A decorative chain worn round the neck as jewellery or as a badge of office.
  a tall man with a heavy gold chain round his neck
  Example sentencesExamples
  The earrings, chains, chokers and necklaces stood out for their designs - elegant but subdued, stylish yet not loud.
  And she will be wearing Steve's wedding ring on a chain around her neck.
  At the foot of Mark's pulpit, positioned in the foreground, is an unmistakable self-portrait of Gentile; round his neck hangs the chain presented to him by Mehmed.
  As in many countries, wealthier men sometimes wear large gold chains around their necks.
  Sometimes they enjoyed big success, as with the debt restructuring at Signet, the jewellery chain, and Wembley.
  The lady also shows the girdle of a Franciscan tertiary visible at her knee, an affiliation confirmed by the brown scapular pendant on a gold chain around her neck.
  I reached inside my blouse and pulled out a silver chain with a silver ring on it.
  This example would have been worn on a chain round the neck, proudly displayed like an order or badge of loyalty.
  Sapphires and jet decorated a chain around his neck, the gems glittering as coldly as his eyes.
  He wears the outfit of the young man about town, jeans, a colourful t-shirt, shiningly bright white trainers, a thick silver chain round his neck and one on his wrist, but there is a depth, too.
  He wears a gold chain around a neck that is thick as a thigh.
  She leaned away from him and lifted the gold chain from around her neck.
  Snapping the bracelets on and the chain around my neck, I came to sliding the leather belt around my slender waist only to put the two chains on it.
  She took the pendant and clasped the chain around her neck.
  Dressed up in a track suit with a baseball cap, rings on his finger and a silver chain round his neck, the 25 years old explains to the Vacuum how to get most of the brew.
  He was wearing a grey vest with six silver chains round his neck.
  He approached a car queueing at the drive-through, reached through the window and grabbed a gold chain from round the driver's neck.
  When Maradona appears on Dancing With The Stars via satellite on Friday he is wearing two stud earrings, a heavy crucifix on a chain around his neck, jeans and a red T-shirt tight enough to keep no secrets.
  She was no longer biting her fingernail, but fidgeting with the gold cross on a chain around her neck.
  Both she and her mother wear jewelry, earrings; the girl also wears a chain with some gold trinkets, the mother, beads.
  Synonyms
  locket, medallion, drop, stone
2. 1.2 A restrictive force or factor.
  workers secured by the chains of the labour market
  Example sentencesExamples
  As Jean Jacques Rousseau said - man is born free, but everywhere in chains.
  Do the work, stay in the shadows, accept what you are given and never think of organizing to challenge the structure that holds you in chains.
  In a slave society, where body and mind are in chains, music portrays the fairer sex as a creature to be enslaved.
  A small group started a movement that got the support of a nation to bring down an ideology that kept the country in chains.
  Are we meant to consider that the arrival of the electronic book signals a new freedom for the reader, casing off the restrictive chains of the traditional book?
2A sequence of items of the same type forming a line.
he kept the chain of buckets supplied with water
Example sentencesExamples
- In the northwest Pacific you can see a whole series of seamount chains that were formed by hotspots.
- One hundred million years ago Tobago was in the Pacific, part of a chain of volcanic islands.
- The slumps form a chain of isolated hills easily recognizable in the elevation model.
- At the large camp with the horses, look for a wooden box next to the tents in the middle of the chain of tents.
- Through the Desert is a pretty clever game, but as a themed game it stinks - camels simply don't line up in endless chains across the burning wastelands.
- In some lost hours we made a chain of chairs, balancing on two legs, and made them topple one after each other like domino tiles.
- Organizers set up a chain of tents and makeshift toilets to accommodate the protestors.
- Roughly around midnight the disco music stopped and a chain of exotic dancers paraded onto the floor.
- Standing upon the Tor, one's eye is drawn to the chain of hills running across the south, forming one lip of the bowl surrounding the Levels.
- On November 3 an underwater path to safety was marked with stakes and lined with a chain of small boats crewed by firefighters.
- The day had been bright until then, but we'd noticed a bank of fog building up steadily on the outside of the island chain, flopping its forelock languidly over the mountain ridges, waiting for a breeze to give it a leg up.
- The Balaton Highland is a chain of rolling hills north of Lake Balaton and south of the Veszprem Plateau, rising some 200 m above the lake level.
Synonyms
series, succession, string, sequence, train, trail, run, pattern, progression, course, set, line, row, concatenation
1. 2.1 A series of connected elements.
  the action would initiate a chain of events
  Example sentencesExamples
  It identified the length of the reporting chains as a factor in why so much intelligence was unreliable.
  It's a chain of successful events strung together to accomplish one goal.
  The Defendant's intention to terminate in any event breaks the chain of causation.
  The discovery of an aircraft he claims crashed into the sea after being badly damaged sets in train a shocking chain of events that forces him to confront his own demons from the war.
  The arrival of Ali, her cousin from Iran, sets forth a chain of events, forcing a re-examination of her background and the world around her.
  The uncertainty surrounding him would cause a chain of events and interviews, due diligence any team looking to acquire Williams in a trade would insist upon.
  All three of these systems create a movement, and if any portion of the kinetic chain does not work efficiently the movement is compromised, forcing other systems in the body to jump in and help out.
  The logical chain leading from recovery from illness to an understanding of the animals' language is similarly opaque.
  Negligent intervening acts may or may not break the chain of causation.
  Crime, like everything else, has causes, some of which are injustices, and the presence of a wrong in the causal chain leading to a crime does not normally constrain state action.
  None of the carcasses entered the human food supply chain or were rendered.
  The full direction is therefore necessary where ‘… lies constitute an important element in the chain of proof.’
  And leaving the Waratahs set in motion the chain of events that took him to Ireland.
  Further down the value chain, copper, lead and aluminium were all on the climb.
  Nor will there be learning/teaching as occurs in chains of command or chains of functional support.
  And the Rayong plant may have the distinction of operating the world's longest supply chain.
  The food supply chain is comprised of inputs and outputs, explains Wilson.
  It wouldn't happen, even though (ex hypothesi) the government decision is part of the causal chain leading to the violence in question.
  But how could this boy start in motion a chain of events that would elicit such turmoil?
  Neville's actions set in motion a chain of events that have become depressingly familiar these days.
  Synonyms
  period, spell, stretch, spate, bout
2. 2.2 A connected series of mountains.
  a mountain chain
  Example sentencesExamples
  A smaller chain of mountains, nowhere near as tall as Zenith ran along the outer rim of the rain forest of the northern territory, separating the land of the lizards from the rest of Darikoth to the south.
  Within the Tethyan belt, Turkey is well known for extensive areas of ophiolitic rocks in the mountains of the Alpine chain.
  Ahead of him he saw a great shining sea and nearby was a chain of tall, snow-topped mountains.
  The view from the high ground includes endless chains of towering mountains, running from horizon to horizon.
  The central spine of mountains, a last fling of the Andean chain, are matted in rainforest, threaded with trails, cooled by waterfalls and home to more birds per square mile than anywhere in the world.
  South along the chain of mountains you'll find the peak of Eriagon above the lake at the western entrance of Muriah.
  In the far north are the alps; in Sicily, the Madonie form yet another chain of central mountains.
  It is a region of hot, dry, windswept plains broken in places by chains of low mountains.
  Many ridges of the Rocky Mountain chain exceed 2000 m elevation, and some have glaciers occupying the mountain tops and high valleys.
  Far on the horizon, there was a chain of mountains.
  It was climbing up over a tall chain of mountains.
  The mountains touching the coast are steep and joined to the chain further inland.
  A chain of mountains, the Apennines, juts down the center of the peninsula.
  From Tardets you can see the Pyrenean mountains rising up into a chain that extends all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.
  On the landward side it was now white-capped mountain ranges, ranks of huge mountains that joined with the chain running down the centre of the continent.
  Sasha jumped, seeing a chain of red mountains in the distance.
  Far ahead to the north, across a rock-strewn gulf, was a chain of low-lying mountains locked away behind an otherworldly wall of haze.
  The sun turned the chain of mountains on the western horizon an amber red, but it was slowly engulfed by the creeping darkness.
  Most of it is in the Serra de Tramuntana, the chain of mountains that runs across the north of the island.
  The Rocky Mountains form a majestic chain stretching from Canada through central Mexico.
  Synonyms
  row
3. 2.3 A group of hotels, restaurants, or shops owned by the same company.
  the agency is part of a nationwide chain
  as modifier a chain restaurant
  Example sentencesExamples
  I own a hotel, a chain of restaurants, several factories and shares in shipping, insurance and defence.
  Burton said that without a major reduction in labor costs, Giant and Safeway's share of the market will continue to slide, forcing the chains to cut jobs.
  Under pressure from powerfully conservative retail chains, the band was forced to accept a substitute.
  Making an exception for the Salvation Army might force the chain to welcome other charities that don't sit well with customers.
  So it's easier to build a lasting business if you make soap or run a retail chain.
  Orders from restaurant chains and resort hotels were good.
  Yet the big chains stayed open, forcing smaller competitors to do the same to cater for the small but consistent demand for foreign racing.
  Mexican merchants own most national supermarket chains, but American and French companies are rapidly gaining influence in this sector.
  Beginning Jan.1 next year, officials said, the trial will become a compulsory regulation for all fast-food chain stores.
  One major southern chain was forced last week to buy in vegetables from England after it became clear Irish suppliers were unable to meet demand.
  The Corporation has a chain of 14 hotels in prime locations of Goa.
  These wines will be offered to other distributors, as well as to key retailers and small hotel and restaurant chains across the country.
  GUS owns retail chain Argos as well as a number of catalogue brands.
  In Blackheath, even the few chain stores are run like small local shops.
  The clients range from big chain stores, government right down to small businesses.
  What's the problem with the ABC running a retail chain?
  What's the largest fast junk food chain in the country?
  Supermarket chain Tesco has joined forces with Pendleside Hospice in a bid to smash this year's fundraising targets.
  His company has the size to survive such a hit, he says, but many travel companies and hotel chains have been cutting staff, reducing shifts and eliminating holiday pay and benefits.
  The department-store chain was forced by the Takeover Panel to issue a statement on Friday after a steady rise in its share price last week.
  Synonyms
  group
  multiple shop/store, multiple, firm, company
4. 2.4British A situation in which the sale of a house or flat is dependent on the prospective buyer selling their own or the seller buying another first.
  our offer was accepted this morning and there's no chain
  Example sentencesExamples
  I am beginning to wonder if you want to sell me a property - I am a cash buyer, I have no chain - what's going on?
  However, some will offer to do so out of goodwill, or if you are seen as a good buyer, for example, because you are not in a chain.
  There's apparently no chain on the other end, so moving in should be as fast as it takes to sort out the paperwork - maybe four to six weeks.
  Most houses in the UK are sold as links in a chain, where buyers and sellers are all linked together in sequence.
  I put an offer in on October 10 and we're stuck in a chain and have no idea when it'll be sorted.
  For those in a chain, vendors should be aware that the days of the easily obtainable bridging loan are long gone.
  You'd think I wasn't sitting here, cash (sorta) buyer, no chain.
5. 2.5 A part of a molecule consisting of a number of atoms bonded together in a linear sequence.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Lewis structures can also be written for more complex molecules that have a chain of bonded atoms instead of a single central atom.
  Thermoplastics consist of long carbon chains that are covalently bonded to chains of other atoms.
  Diene elastomers can be recognized by the presence of double bonds in the main chains of the macromolecular molecules.
  Fatty acids that contain double bonds between carbon atoms in their chain are termed unsaturated fatty acids.
  Here, the molecule is drawn out with the longest chain of carbon atoms as the central part.
6. 2.6 A figure in a quadrille or similar dance, in which dancers meet and pass each other in a continuous sequence.
  Example sentencesExamples
  It could be prompted as a quadrille or used as the figure in a singing call or adapted to a patter routine by having the Four Ladies Chain instead of doing the Allemande Left, etc.
  Step combinations are given for nineteen quadrille figures, such as "right and left," "hands round," "English chain," "ladies' chain," and "balance."
  The corps performs adaptations of folk-dance like material: chains, circle dances, and crossing steps.
3A jointed measuring line consisting of linked metal rods.
Example sentencesExamples
- The offices of the two ministers of the law were at about equal distance, and resort was had to a surveyor's chain, to ascertain which was nearest.
- There was also in evidence picket poles, rods, chains and all the instrumental paraphernalia of field work.
- The chain was a surveyors chain of 22 yds, two men and an umpire measuring the hit.
1. 3.1 A measure of length equivalent to a chain (66 ft).
  Example sentencesExamples
  Shallow streams and intermittent streams without well defined channel or banks are not meandered, even when more than 3 chains wide.
  Frank Lenthal's winning hit that broke a thirty year record at Elland, West Yorkshire was 13 chains 6 yards and 2 feet.
  Regular lots are 30 chains wide and 66.67 chains in depth.
  The original family home built in 1123 AD is a traditional square Norman castle four chains wide with turrets two chains high at each of the four corners.
4chainsA structure of planks projecting horizontally from a sailing ship's sides abreast of the masts, used to widen the basis for the shrouds.
Example sentencesExamples
- To stand "in the chains" means to stand upon the chain-wale between two shrouds, from where the leadsman heaves the hand-lead to measure water depth.
- Special platforms were built for the leadsman, but the term chains was retained.
- She was accidentally rammed by HMS Warrior in thick weather in the winter of 1867, losing boats, chains, shrouds and back stays.

verb tʃeɪntʃeɪn

[with object]

1Fasten or secure with a chain.
she chained her bicycle to the railings
Example sentencesExamples
- For Brockovich, being an environmentalist is not about chaining oneself to a tree but ‘intercepting deceit.’
- Supermarket giants like Tesco began chaining trolleys after finding customers were using them to take their shopping home.
- Once in place, the loadmasters had to chain the heavily armored vehicles securely to the floor.
- On September 3, two protesters held up delegates travelling to the show for 40 minutes by chaining themselves to two trains.
- Peace campaigners today chained themselves to gates at Menwith Hill in an effort to shut down the North Yorkshire spy base.
- The iron hooks that prisoners were chained to are still visible on the walls.
- Diane King had even taken the precaution of chaining the baskets to brackets on the outside wall of her house, but the thieves still managed to take them.
- Always chain your bike to something other than itself.
- Graham chained his bike to the bike rack and they met up at the train.
- We thought of getting another one and chaining it to a tree or to a cement-locked stake in the ground, but then we realized we were getting a bit too much of an eerie glow in our eyes.
- There was nothing we could have done to make this more secure, short of chaining the airplanes to the ground.
- I'm confused, what did you morons hope to achieve by chaining yourself to railings and preventing ordinary, decent, working people from going about their business?
- All the bikes were chained to each other and to the wall with a padlock.
- The group, which has already staged road blockades on major routes, has not ruled out deploying tactics such as chaining themselves to railings and lying on roads.
- She mounted a campaign of opposition, chaining herself to the gates in an attempt to highlight the gross injustice.
- Home-owner Richard Gavan had thought that chaining his treasured Piaggio Liberty to the pipe under his front window was a foolproof way of keeping it safe.
Synonyms
tie, secure, fasten, tether, hitch, bind, rope, moor
restrain, shackle, fetter, manacle, handcuff, hobble
confine, imprison
rare trammel, gyve
1. 1.1 Confine with a chain.
  he had been chained up
  figurative as an actuary you will not be chained to a desk
  Example sentencesExamples
  You know, Rather prides himself on not being chained to the anchor desk.
  Movement was restricted because I was chained up, there was little chance of exercise.
  Cartooning as a day job meant chaining yourself to your table, scratching out a living in silence, interrupted only by frequent trips to the coffee shop.
  When wolves stalk the flock, best not to chain the dogs.
  It never said exactly what it was he did, but it must have been pretty bad, because he was all chained up.
  I was chained up for most of the previous four and a half years.
  I'm talking about when Dumbo comes to see his mother but she's all chained up and can't get to him.
  She couldn't remember how long she had been chained up, or what day it was.
  They are chained inside tents or cordoned off in small areas of fields by circus owners in the hope of drawing in profits.
  I refuse to be chained to a desk, and I won't be.
  The man had already made sure the pooch in the yard he was about to deliver to was chained up.
  Kellerman gets chained to a desk while his past in the Arson department gets scrutinized.
  Mr Lowe said although his stud dogs were chained up they had huge pens.
  My fertile imagination cannot be chained to administerial tasks.
  I've never been unhappier than when I was chained to a terminal for nine hours a day.
  They had a huge Alsatian that they kept chained up in the side passage leading to their garden.
  A sibling showed authorities a pair of handcuffs he said were used to chain his brother in the basement, according to charging documents.
  It hasn't worked for Haw so far, and I'm not sure it will, but I'm a bit worried that it might work for my pro-hunting Yorkshire friend next time she chains herself to the Commons railings.
  Houdini could get out of a glass box full of water in a couple of minutes, even chained up and in a straitjacket.
  Two guys wake up chained by their legs in a disused washroom.

Phrases

drag the chain

informal Work slowly and ineffectively; lag behind.
the government is dragging the chain on this issue
Example sentencesExamples
- We have to contrast its dragging the chain on conservation with its pushing ahead on economic growth.
- Most car makers are dragging the chain in using the new technology, despite their low cost.
- She challenged the "myth" that the party had dragged the chain on migrant issues.
- We have said 30 days, and if the Minister drags the chain he can stretch it out to 60.
- Dragging the chain and mindless dissing of people who are trying to push us in the right direction is simply foolish.
- It would have assisted employers to know when someone was not just dragging the chain but also taking ruthless advantage.
- He was inclined to drag the chain, though, and needed the occasional, "Come on, dad!"
- A more reasonable excuse for buying them would be to convince allies we are not "dragging the chain" and so deserve protection, should we need it.
- A smart State would not drag the chain; it would not only keep up with the rest of the country but it would lead the country.
- The local plod was dragging the chain when it came to enforcing the 2.00 a.m. closing time.

pull (or yank) someone's chain

informal Tease someone by leading them to believe something untrue.
he's just pulling your chain
Example sentencesExamples
- When you can't tell if the tech is dead serious or yanking your chain, it's time to hang up.
- That should have tipped me off that he was either yanking my chain or wasn't someone to be taken seriously.
- But the IMF, still bailing out Indonesia, has yanked the government 's chain, delaying until May the next $400 million loan payment.
- But if I find out you've been yanking my chain, it will get very unpleasant.
- For all I know, you're some kind of hacker, or somebody I know who is yanking my chain.
- Centre Manager Tim Campbell said he was delighted when the congratulatory letter arrived, although at first he suspected someone was pulling his chain.
- Or are you just yanking my chain to see how I'll react?
- I've let this slander pass, because I think the audience realizes he's just yanking my chain, and because he was also kind enough to invite me to guest host the show.
- It was after being caught speeding while trying to get my wife to her compulsory speed awareness course that it struck me: the police were yanking my chain.
- I only hope they weren't just pulling my chain when they took my info, that's all.
Synonyms
make fun of, poke fun at, chaff, make jokes about, rag, mock, laugh at, guy, satirize, be sarcastic about

Origin

Middle English: from Old French chaine, chaeine, from Latin catena 'a chain'.

Rhymes

abstain, appertain, arcane, arraign, ascertain, attain, Bahrain, bane, blain, brain, Braine, Cain, Caine, campaign, cane, cinquain, champagne, champaign, Champlain, Charmaine, chicane, chow mein, cocaine, Coleraine, Coltrane, complain, constrain, contain, crane, Dane, deign, demesne, demi-mondaine, detain, disdain, domain, domaine, drain, Duane, Dwane, Elaine, entertain, entrain, explain, fain, fane, feign, gain, Germaine, germane, grain, humane, Hussein, inane, Jain, Jane, Jermaine, Kane, La Fontaine, lain, lane, legerdemain, Lorraine, main, Maine, maintain, mane, mise en scène, Montaigne, moraine, mundane, obtain, ordain, Paine, pane, pertain, plain, plane, Port-of-Spain, profane, rain, Raine, refrain, reign, rein, retain, romaine, sane, Seine, Shane, Sinn Fein, skein, slain, Spain, Spillane, sprain, stain, strain, sustain, swain, terrain, thane, train, twain, Ujjain, Ukraine, underlain, urbane, vain, vane, vein, Verlaine, vicereine, wain, wane, Wayne

Definition of chain in US English:

chain

nountʃeɪnCHān

1A connected flexible series of metal links used for fastening or securing objects and pulling or supporting loads.
he slid the bolts on the front door and put the safety chain across
the drug dealer is being kept in chains
Example sentencesExamples
- Elephants are tethered by chains so people can climb on them for a cute photo for a fee of 10 yuan.
- The Rainbow Warrior had been blockading the military port until police boarded the ship on Saturday night and cut her anchor chain forcing the ship into dock.
- The guards jerked at the chains forcing the slaves to stumble forward as they were led towards the huge mansion.
- Prisoners in chains appear in the Mutombo, Kalema, and Nguba paintings.
- I followed him into the room and he yanked a chain hanging from the ceiling.
- More often than not, temple elephants kept in chains and overfed without enough exercise become fat.
- Four men in a stolen red Vauxhall Cavalier attacked the stand-alone cash machine by placing a metal chain around it and pulling it out onto the pavement.
- Olivier was shackled with 25 pounds of chains and forced to sleep on a hard concrete prison floor for over eight years.
- Then began the search for a chain or strong rope.
- They hung off the ground and were suspended by massive chains attached to the ceiling.
- Four feet of open air separated them, and four feet of heavy chain bound them together.
- He had a collar around his neck with a chain dangling from it.
- He lunged forward, but the heavy chains around his ankles brought him crashing back down to the ground.
- In that performance, the magician was tied with metal chains and secured by 50 locks.
- The second time he did the trick with me, he pulled the chain… and the links kinked up and caught together, preventing the loop from falling apart.
- Future projects for the most famous illusionist since David Copperfield include being thrown off Tower Bridge while tied in chains and weighted down with lead.
- The coils are contained within a steel cylinder fitted with fins, which would float just below the surface of the water, anchored to the sea-bed by chains, and rotated by the force of the tides.
- There were heavy, rusty chains around her wrists and ankles that hurt when they tightened.
- They yanked on her chains forcing her to bend and twist at their will like a puppet on strings.
- He was taken away in chains while the villagers looked on and cheered.
Synonyms
fetters, shackles, bonds, irons, leg irons, manacles, handcuffs
1. 1.1 A series of decorative metal links worn as a decoration; a necklace.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Both she and her mother wear jewelry, earrings; the girl also wears a chain with some gold trinkets, the mother, beads.
  She leaned away from him and lifted the gold chain from around her neck.
  This example would have been worn on a chain round the neck, proudly displayed like an order or badge of loyalty.
  The earrings, chains, chokers and necklaces stood out for their designs - elegant but subdued, stylish yet not loud.
  Snapping the bracelets on and the chain around my neck, I came to sliding the leather belt around my slender waist only to put the two chains on it.
  He wears the outfit of the young man about town, jeans, a colourful t-shirt, shiningly bright white trainers, a thick silver chain round his neck and one on his wrist, but there is a depth, too.
  She was no longer biting her fingernail, but fidgeting with the gold cross on a chain around her neck.
  I reached inside my blouse and pulled out a silver chain with a silver ring on it.
  At the foot of Mark's pulpit, positioned in the foreground, is an unmistakable self-portrait of Gentile; round his neck hangs the chain presented to him by Mehmed.
  Sapphires and jet decorated a chain around his neck, the gems glittering as coldly as his eyes.
  He approached a car queueing at the drive-through, reached through the window and grabbed a gold chain from round the driver's neck.
  He was wearing a grey vest with six silver chains round his neck.
  She took the pendant and clasped the chain around her neck.
  He wears a gold chain around a neck that is thick as a thigh.
  The lady also shows the girdle of a Franciscan tertiary visible at her knee, an affiliation confirmed by the brown scapular pendant on a gold chain around her neck.
  Dressed up in a track suit with a baseball cap, rings on his finger and a silver chain round his neck, the 25 years old explains to the Vacuum how to get most of the brew.
  When Maradona appears on Dancing With The Stars via satellite on Friday he is wearing two stud earrings, a heavy crucifix on a chain around his neck, jeans and a red T-shirt tight enough to keep no secrets.
  Sometimes they enjoyed big success, as with the debt restructuring at Signet, the jewellery chain, and Wembley.
  And she will be wearing Steve's wedding ring on a chain around her neck.
  As in many countries, wealthier men sometimes wear large gold chains around their necks.
  Synonyms
  locket, medallion, drop, stone
2. 1.2chains
  short for snow chains
3. 1.3chains A force or factor that binds or restricts someone.
  the chains of illness
  Example sentencesExamples
  As Jean Jacques Rousseau said - man is born free, but everywhere in chains.
  Do the work, stay in the shadows, accept what you are given and never think of organizing to challenge the structure that holds you in chains.
  Are we meant to consider that the arrival of the electronic book signals a new freedom for the reader, casing off the restrictive chains of the traditional book?
  In a slave society, where body and mind are in chains, music portrays the fairer sex as a creature to be enslaved.
  A small group started a movement that got the support of a nation to bring down an ideology that kept the country in chains.
2A sequence of items of the same type forming a line.
he kept the chain of buckets supplied with water
Example sentencesExamples
- On November 3 an underwater path to safety was marked with stakes and lined with a chain of small boats crewed by firefighters.
- Roughly around midnight the disco music stopped and a chain of exotic dancers paraded onto the floor.
- In some lost hours we made a chain of chairs, balancing on two legs, and made them topple one after each other like domino tiles.
- The Balaton Highland is a chain of rolling hills north of Lake Balaton and south of the Veszprem Plateau, rising some 200 m above the lake level.
- In the northwest Pacific you can see a whole series of seamount chains that were formed by hotspots.
- One hundred million years ago Tobago was in the Pacific, part of a chain of volcanic islands.
- The day had been bright until then, but we'd noticed a bank of fog building up steadily on the outside of the island chain, flopping its forelock languidly over the mountain ridges, waiting for a breeze to give it a leg up.
- At the large camp with the horses, look for a wooden box next to the tents in the middle of the chain of tents.
- Through the Desert is a pretty clever game, but as a themed game it stinks - camels simply don't line up in endless chains across the burning wastelands.
- Organizers set up a chain of tents and makeshift toilets to accommodate the protestors.
- Standing upon the Tor, one's eye is drawn to the chain of hills running across the south, forming one lip of the bowl surrounding the Levels.
- The slumps form a chain of isolated hills easily recognizable in the elevation model.
Synonyms
series, succession, string, sequence, train, trail, run, pattern, progression, course, set, line, row, concatenation
1. 2.1 A sequence or series of connected elements.
  a chain of events
  the food chain
  Example sentencesExamples
  The discovery of an aircraft he claims crashed into the sea after being badly damaged sets in train a shocking chain of events that forces him to confront his own demons from the war.
  Nor will there be learning/teaching as occurs in chains of command or chains of functional support.
  And leaving the Waratahs set in motion the chain of events that took him to Ireland.
  The full direction is therefore necessary where ‘… lies constitute an important element in the chain of proof.’
  And the Rayong plant may have the distinction of operating the world's longest supply chain.
  All three of these systems create a movement, and if any portion of the kinetic chain does not work efficiently the movement is compromised, forcing other systems in the body to jump in and help out.
  But how could this boy start in motion a chain of events that would elicit such turmoil?
  None of the carcasses entered the human food supply chain or were rendered.
  It's a chain of successful events strung together to accomplish one goal.
  The logical chain leading from recovery from illness to an understanding of the animals' language is similarly opaque.
  Neville's actions set in motion a chain of events that have become depressingly familiar these days.
  The food supply chain is comprised of inputs and outputs, explains Wilson.
  It wouldn't happen, even though (ex hypothesi) the government decision is part of the causal chain leading to the violence in question.
  The arrival of Ali, her cousin from Iran, sets forth a chain of events, forcing a re-examination of her background and the world around her.
  Further down the value chain, copper, lead and aluminium were all on the climb.
  Negligent intervening acts may or may not break the chain of causation.
  The Defendant's intention to terminate in any event breaks the chain of causation.
  Crime, like everything else, has causes, some of which are injustices, and the presence of a wrong in the causal chain leading to a crime does not normally constrain state action.
  The uncertainty surrounding him would cause a chain of events and interviews, due diligence any team looking to acquire Williams in a trade would insist upon.
  It identified the length of the reporting chains as a factor in why so much intelligence was unreliable.
  Synonyms
  period, spell, stretch, spate, bout
2. 2.2 A range of mountains.
  a chain of volcanic ridges
  Example sentencesExamples
  Far ahead to the north, across a rock-strewn gulf, was a chain of low-lying mountains locked away behind an otherworldly wall of haze.
  The view from the high ground includes endless chains of towering mountains, running from horizon to horizon.
  Within the Tethyan belt, Turkey is well known for extensive areas of ophiolitic rocks in the mountains of the Alpine chain.
  The sun turned the chain of mountains on the western horizon an amber red, but it was slowly engulfed by the creeping darkness.
  Most of it is in the Serra de Tramuntana, the chain of mountains that runs across the north of the island.
  From Tardets you can see the Pyrenean mountains rising up into a chain that extends all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.
  Sasha jumped, seeing a chain of red mountains in the distance.
  On the landward side it was now white-capped mountain ranges, ranks of huge mountains that joined with the chain running down the centre of the continent.
  In the far north are the alps; in Sicily, the Madonie form yet another chain of central mountains.
  It is a region of hot, dry, windswept plains broken in places by chains of low mountains.
  A chain of mountains, the Apennines, juts down the center of the peninsula.
  Many ridges of the Rocky Mountain chain exceed 2000 m elevation, and some have glaciers occupying the mountain tops and high valleys.
  Far on the horizon, there was a chain of mountains.
  Ahead of him he saw a great shining sea and nearby was a chain of tall, snow-topped mountains.
  The Rocky Mountains form a majestic chain stretching from Canada through central Mexico.
  It was climbing up over a tall chain of mountains.
  A smaller chain of mountains, nowhere near as tall as Zenith ran along the outer rim of the rain forest of the northern territory, separating the land of the lizards from the rest of Darikoth to the south.
  The mountains touching the coast are steep and joined to the chain further inland.
  South along the chain of mountains you'll find the peak of Eriagon above the lake at the western entrance of Muriah.
  The central spine of mountains, a last fling of the Andean chain, are matted in rainforest, threaded with trails, cooled by waterfalls and home to more birds per square mile than anywhere in the world.
  Synonyms
  row
3. 2.3 A group of establishments, such as hotels, stores, or restaurants, owned by the same company.
  as modifier a chain restaurant
  the nation's largest hotel chain
  Example sentencesExamples
  Making an exception for the Salvation Army might force the chain to welcome other charities that don't sit well with customers.
  Yet the big chains stayed open, forcing smaller competitors to do the same to cater for the small but consistent demand for foreign racing.
  Burton said that without a major reduction in labor costs, Giant and Safeway's share of the market will continue to slide, forcing the chains to cut jobs.
  These wines will be offered to other distributors, as well as to key retailers and small hotel and restaurant chains across the country.
  The clients range from big chain stores, government right down to small businesses.
  The department-store chain was forced by the Takeover Panel to issue a statement on Friday after a steady rise in its share price last week.
  Under pressure from powerfully conservative retail chains, the band was forced to accept a substitute.
  So it's easier to build a lasting business if you make soap or run a retail chain.
  What's the largest fast junk food chain in the country?
  Orders from restaurant chains and resort hotels were good.
  In Blackheath, even the few chain stores are run like small local shops.
  I own a hotel, a chain of restaurants, several factories and shares in shipping, insurance and defence.
  One major southern chain was forced last week to buy in vegetables from England after it became clear Irish suppliers were unable to meet demand.
  GUS owns retail chain Argos as well as a number of catalogue brands.
  His company has the size to survive such a hit, he says, but many travel companies and hotel chains have been cutting staff, reducing shifts and eliminating holiday pay and benefits.
  Supermarket chain Tesco has joined forces with Pendleside Hospice in a bid to smash this year's fundraising targets.
  Beginning Jan.1 next year, officials said, the trial will become a compulsory regulation for all fast-food chain stores.
  Mexican merchants own most national supermarket chains, but American and French companies are rapidly gaining influence in this sector.
  The Corporation has a chain of 14 hotels in prime locations of Goa.
  What's the problem with the ABC running a retail chain?
  Synonyms
  group
4. 2.4 A part of a molecule consisting of a number of atoms (typically carbon) bonded together in a linear sequence.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Thermoplastics consist of long carbon chains that are covalently bonded to chains of other atoms.
  Diene elastomers can be recognized by the presence of double bonds in the main chains of the macromolecular molecules.
  Lewis structures can also be written for more complex molecules that have a chain of bonded atoms instead of a single central atom.
  Fatty acids that contain double bonds between carbon atoms in their chain are termed unsaturated fatty acids.
  Here, the molecule is drawn out with the longest chain of carbon atoms as the central part.
5. 2.5 A figure in a quadrille or similar dance, in which dancers meet and pass each other in a continuous sequence.
  Example sentencesExamples
  The corps performs adaptations of folk-dance like material: chains, circle dances, and crossing steps.
  It could be prompted as a quadrille or used as the figure in a singing call or adapted to a patter routine by having the Four Ladies Chain instead of doing the Allemande Left, etc.
  Step combinations are given for nineteen quadrille figures, such as "right and left," "hands round," "English chain," "ladies' chain," and "balance."
3A jointed measuring line consisting of linked metal rods.
Example sentencesExamples
- The offices of the two ministers of the law were at about equal distance, and resort was had to a surveyor's chain, to ascertain which was nearest.
- There was also in evidence picket poles, rods, chains and all the instrumental paraphernalia of field work.
- The chain was a surveyors chain of 22 yds, two men and an umpire measuring the hit.
1. 3.1 A measure of length equivalent to a chain (66 ft.).
  Example sentencesExamples
  The original family home built in 1123 AD is a traditional square Norman castle four chains wide with turrets two chains high at each of the four corners.
  Frank Lenthal's winning hit that broke a thirty year record at Elland, West Yorkshire was 13 chains 6 yards and 2 feet.
  Shallow streams and intermittent streams without well defined channel or banks are not meandered, even when more than 3 chains wide.
  Regular lots are 30 chains wide and 66.67 chains in depth.
2. 3.2American Football A measuring chain of ten yards, used in the determination of first downs.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Having cameras mounted on the end holders for the First Down Chain would have the perfect angle to let you see whether or not the football passed the marker.
  So let's make a rule that the clock stops to reset the chains and the line of scrimmage after every first down in the last five minutes of each half.
  The answer is nothing, and I think there may be more of them in the college game because of the rule that stops the clock to reset the chains after every first down.
4chainsA structure of planks projecting horizontally from a sailing ship's sides abreast of the masts, used to widen the basis for the shrouds.
Example sentencesExamples
- She was accidentally rammed by HMS Warrior in thick weather in the winter of 1867, losing boats, chains, shrouds and back stays.
- To stand "in the chains" means to stand upon the chain-wale between two shrouds, from where the leadsman heaves the hand-lead to measure water depth.
- Special platforms were built for the leadsman, but the term chains was retained.

verbtʃeɪnCHān

[with object]

1Fasten or secure with a chain.
she chained her bicycle to the railing
Example sentencesExamples
- Supermarket giants like Tesco began chaining trolleys after finding customers were using them to take their shopping home.
- The iron hooks that prisoners were chained to are still visible on the walls.
- Always chain your bike to something other than itself.
- Diane King had even taken the precaution of chaining the baskets to brackets on the outside wall of her house, but the thieves still managed to take them.
- We thought of getting another one and chaining it to a tree or to a cement-locked stake in the ground, but then we realized we were getting a bit too much of an eerie glow in our eyes.
- I'm confused, what did you morons hope to achieve by chaining yourself to railings and preventing ordinary, decent, working people from going about their business?
- On September 3, two protesters held up delegates travelling to the show for 40 minutes by chaining themselves to two trains.
- All the bikes were chained to each other and to the wall with a padlock.
- Home-owner Richard Gavan had thought that chaining his treasured Piaggio Liberty to the pipe under his front window was a foolproof way of keeping it safe.
- Peace campaigners today chained themselves to gates at Menwith Hill in an effort to shut down the North Yorkshire spy base.
- There was nothing we could have done to make this more secure, short of chaining the airplanes to the ground.
- For Brockovich, being an environmentalist is not about chaining oneself to a tree but ‘intercepting deceit.’
- Once in place, the loadmasters had to chain the heavily armored vehicles securely to the floor.
- Graham chained his bike to the bike rack and they met up at the train.
- The group, which has already staged road blockades on major routes, has not ruled out deploying tactics such as chaining themselves to railings and lying on roads.
- She mounted a campaign of opposition, chaining herself to the gates in an attempt to highlight the gross injustice.
Synonyms
tie, secure, fasten, tether, hitch, bind, rope, moor
1. 1.1 Confine with a chain.
  he had been chained up
  figurative as an actuary you will not be chained to a desk
  Example sentencesExamples
  Cartooning as a day job meant chaining yourself to your table, scratching out a living in silence, interrupted only by frequent trips to the coffee shop.
  A sibling showed authorities a pair of handcuffs he said were used to chain his brother in the basement, according to charging documents.
  She couldn't remember how long she had been chained up, or what day it was.
  I'm talking about when Dumbo comes to see his mother but she's all chained up and can't get to him.
  My fertile imagination cannot be chained to administerial tasks.
  When wolves stalk the flock, best not to chain the dogs.
  It hasn't worked for Haw so far, and I'm not sure it will, but I'm a bit worried that it might work for my pro-hunting Yorkshire friend next time she chains herself to the Commons railings.
  They had a huge Alsatian that they kept chained up in the side passage leading to their garden.
  Mr Lowe said although his stud dogs were chained up they had huge pens.
  Kellerman gets chained to a desk while his past in the Arson department gets scrutinized.
  Two guys wake up chained by their legs in a disused washroom.
  The man had already made sure the pooch in the yard he was about to deliver to was chained up.
  I was chained up for most of the previous four and a half years.
  Houdini could get out of a glass box full of water in a couple of minutes, even chained up and in a straitjacket.
  I've never been unhappier than when I was chained to a terminal for nine hours a day.
  I refuse to be chained to a desk, and I won't be.
  They are chained inside tents or cordoned off in small areas of fields by circus owners in the hope of drawing in profits.
  Movement was restricted because I was chained up, there was little chance of exercise.
  You know, Rather prides himself on not being chained to the anchor desk.
  It never said exactly what it was he did, but it must have been pretty bad, because he was all chained up.

Phrases

pull (or yank) someone's chain

informal Tease someone by leading them to believe something untrue.
Example sentencesExamples
- For all I know, you're some kind of hacker, or somebody I know who is yanking my chain.
- That should have tipped me off that he was either yanking my chain or wasn't someone to be taken seriously.
- But the IMF, still bailing out Indonesia, has yanked the government 's chain, delaying until May the next $400 million loan payment.
- I've let this slander pass, because I think the audience realizes he's just yanking my chain, and because he was also kind enough to invite me to guest host the show.
- It was after being caught speeding while trying to get my wife to her compulsory speed awareness course that it struck me: the police were yanking my chain.
- But if I find out you've been yanking my chain, it will get very unpleasant.
- When you can't tell if the tech is dead serious or yanking your chain, it's time to hang up.
- Or are you just yanking my chain to see how I'll react?
- I only hope they weren't just pulling my chain when they took my info, that's all.
- Centre Manager Tim Campbell said he was delighted when the congratulatory letter arrived, although at first he suspected someone was pulling his chain.
Synonyms
make fun of, poke fun at, chaff, make jokes about, rag, mock, laugh at, guy, satirize, be sarcastic about

Origin

Middle English: from Old French chaine, chaeine, from Latin catena ‘a chain’.

单词	chain
释义	Definition of chain in English: chain noun tʃeɪntʃeɪn 1A series of linked metal rings used for fastening or securing something, or for pulling loads. he slid the bolts on the front door and put the safety chain across the drug dealer is being kept in chains Example sentencesExamples They yanked on her chains forcing her to bend and twist at their will like a puppet on strings. Prisoners in chains appear in the Mutombo, Kalema, and Nguba paintings. The second time he did the trick with me, he pulled the chain… and the links kinked up and caught together, preventing the loop from falling apart. There were heavy, rusty chains around her wrists and ankles that hurt when they tightened. Four men in a stolen red Vauxhall Cavalier attacked the stand-alone cash machine by placing a metal chain around it and pulling it out onto the pavement. More often than not, temple elephants kept in chains and overfed without enough exercise become fat. Elephants are tethered by chains so people can climb on them for a cute photo for a fee of 10 yuan. In that performance, the magician was tied with metal chains and secured by 50 locks. The coils are contained within a steel cylinder fitted with fins, which would float just below the surface of the water, anchored to the sea-bed by chains, and rotated by the force of the tides. The guards jerked at the chains forcing the slaves to stumble forward as they were led towards the huge mansion. He was taken away in chains while the villagers looked on and cheered. He lunged forward, but the heavy chains around his ankles brought him crashing back down to the ground. They hung off the ground and were suspended by massive chains attached to the ceiling. I followed him into the room and he yanked a chain hanging from the ceiling. He had a collar around his neck with a chain dangling from it. Olivier was shackled with 25 pounds of chains and forced to sleep on a hard concrete prison floor for over eight years. Future projects for the most famous illusionist since David Copperfield include being thrown off Tower Bridge while tied in chains and weighted down with lead. Four feet of open air separated them, and four feet of heavy chain bound them together. The Rainbow Warrior had been blockading the military port until police boarded the ship on Saturday night and cut her anchor chain forcing the ship into dock. Then began the search for a chain or strong rope. Synonyms fetters, shackles, bonds, irons, leg irons, manacles, handcuffs informal cuffs, bracelets archaic trammels, gyves, darbies, bilboes 1.1 A decorative chain worn round the neck as jewellery or as a badge of office. a tall man with a heavy gold chain round his neck Example sentencesExamples The earrings, chains, chokers and necklaces stood out for their designs - elegant but subdued, stylish yet not loud. And she will be wearing Steve's wedding ring on a chain around her neck. At the foot of Mark's pulpit, positioned in the foreground, is an unmistakable self-portrait of Gentile; round his neck hangs the chain presented to him by Mehmed. As in many countries, wealthier men sometimes wear large gold chains around their necks. Sometimes they enjoyed big success, as with the debt restructuring at Signet, the jewellery chain, and Wembley. The lady also shows the girdle of a Franciscan tertiary visible at her knee, an affiliation confirmed by the brown scapular pendant on a gold chain around her neck. I reached inside my blouse and pulled out a silver chain with a silver ring on it. This example would have been worn on a chain round the neck, proudly displayed like an order or badge of loyalty. Sapphires and jet decorated a chain around his neck, the gems glittering as coldly as his eyes. He wears the outfit of the young man about town, jeans, a colourful t-shirt, shiningly bright white trainers, a thick silver chain round his neck and one on his wrist, but there is a depth, too. He wears a gold chain around a neck that is thick as a thigh. She leaned away from him and lifted the gold chain from around her neck. Snapping the bracelets on and the chain around my neck, I came to sliding the leather belt around my slender waist only to put the two chains on it. She took the pendant and clasped the chain around her neck. Dressed up in a track suit with a baseball cap, rings on his finger and a silver chain round his neck, the 25 years old explains to the Vacuum how to get most of the brew. He was wearing a grey vest with six silver chains round his neck. He approached a car queueing at the drive-through, reached through the window and grabbed a gold chain from round the driver's neck. When Maradona appears on Dancing With The Stars via satellite on Friday he is wearing two stud earrings, a heavy crucifix on a chain around his neck, jeans and a red T-shirt tight enough to keep no secrets. She was no longer biting her fingernail, but fidgeting with the gold cross on a chain around her neck. Both she and her mother wear jewelry, earrings; the girl also wears a chain with some gold trinkets, the mother, beads. Synonyms locket, medallion, drop, stone 1.2 A restrictive force or factor. workers secured by the chains of the labour market Example sentencesExamples As Jean Jacques Rousseau said - man is born free, but everywhere in chains. Do the work, stay in the shadows, accept what you are given and never think of organizing to challenge the structure that holds you in chains. In a slave society, where body and mind are in chains, music portrays the fairer sex as a creature to be enslaved. A small group started a movement that got the support of a nation to bring down an ideology that kept the country in chains. Are we meant to consider that the arrival of the electronic book signals a new freedom for the reader, casing off the restrictive chains of the traditional book? 2A sequence of items of the same type forming a line. he kept the chain of buckets supplied with water Example sentencesExamples In the northwest Pacific you can see a whole series of seamount chains that were formed by hotspots. One hundred million years ago Tobago was in the Pacific, part of a chain of volcanic islands. The slumps form a chain of isolated hills easily recognizable in the elevation model. At the large camp with the horses, look for a wooden box next to the tents in the middle of the chain of tents. Through the Desert is a pretty clever game, but as a themed game it stinks - camels simply don't line up in endless chains across the burning wastelands. In some lost hours we made a chain of chairs, balancing on two legs, and made them topple one after each other like domino tiles. Organizers set up a chain of tents and makeshift toilets to accommodate the protestors. Roughly around midnight the disco music stopped and a chain of exotic dancers paraded onto the floor. Standing upon the Tor, one's eye is drawn to the chain of hills running across the south, forming one lip of the bowl surrounding the Levels. On November 3 an underwater path to safety was marked with stakes and lined with a chain of small boats crewed by firefighters. The day had been bright until then, but we'd noticed a bank of fog building up steadily on the outside of the island chain, flopping its forelock languidly over the mountain ridges, waiting for a breeze to give it a leg up. The Balaton Highland is a chain of rolling hills north of Lake Balaton and south of the Veszprem Plateau, rising some 200 m above the lake level. Synonyms series, succession, string, sequence, train, trail, run, pattern, progression, course, set, line, row, concatenation 2.1 A series of connected elements. the action would initiate a chain of events Example sentencesExamples It identified the length of the reporting chains as a factor in why so much intelligence was unreliable. It's a chain of successful events strung together to accomplish one goal. The Defendant's intention to terminate in any event breaks the chain of causation. The discovery of an aircraft he claims crashed into the sea after being badly damaged sets in train a shocking chain of events that forces him to confront his own demons from the war. The arrival of Ali, her cousin from Iran, sets forth a chain of events, forcing a re-examination of her background and the world around her. The uncertainty surrounding him would cause a chain of events and interviews, due diligence any team looking to acquire Williams in a trade would insist upon. All three of these systems create a movement, and if any portion of the kinetic chain does not work efficiently the movement is compromised, forcing other systems in the body to jump in and help out. The logical chain leading from recovery from illness to an understanding of the animals' language is similarly opaque. Negligent intervening acts may or may not break the chain of causation. Crime, like everything else, has causes, some of which are injustices, and the presence of a wrong in the causal chain leading to a crime does not normally constrain state action. None of the carcasses entered the human food supply chain or were rendered. The full direction is therefore necessary where ‘… lies constitute an important element in the chain of proof.’ And leaving the Waratahs set in motion the chain of events that took him to Ireland. Further down the value chain, copper, lead and aluminium were all on the climb. Nor will there be learning/teaching as occurs in chains of command or chains of functional support. And the Rayong plant may have the distinction of operating the world's longest supply chain. The food supply chain is comprised of inputs and outputs, explains Wilson. It wouldn't happen, even though (ex hypothesi) the government decision is part of the causal chain leading to the violence in question. But how could this boy start in motion a chain of events that would elicit such turmoil? Neville's actions set in motion a chain of events that have become depressingly familiar these days. Synonyms period, spell, stretch, spate, bout 2.2 A connected series of mountains. a mountain chain Example sentencesExamples A smaller chain of mountains, nowhere near as tall as Zenith ran along the outer rim of the rain forest of the northern territory, separating the land of the lizards from the rest of Darikoth to the south. Within the Tethyan belt, Turkey is well known for extensive areas of ophiolitic rocks in the mountains of the Alpine chain. Ahead of him he saw a great shining sea and nearby was a chain of tall, snow-topped mountains. The view from the high ground includes endless chains of towering mountains, running from horizon to horizon. The central spine of mountains, a last fling of the Andean chain, are matted in rainforest, threaded with trails, cooled by waterfalls and home to more birds per square mile than anywhere in the world. South along the chain of mountains you'll find the peak of Eriagon above the lake at the western entrance of Muriah. In the far north are the alps; in Sicily, the Madonie form yet another chain of central mountains. It is a region of hot, dry, windswept plains broken in places by chains of low mountains. Many ridges of the Rocky Mountain chain exceed 2000 m elevation, and some have glaciers occupying the mountain tops and high valleys. Far on the horizon, there was a chain of mountains. It was climbing up over a tall chain of mountains. The mountains touching the coast are steep and joined to the chain further inland. A chain of mountains, the Apennines, juts down the center of the peninsula. From Tardets you can see the Pyrenean mountains rising up into a chain that extends all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. On the landward side it was now white-capped mountain ranges, ranks of huge mountains that joined with the chain running down the centre of the continent. Sasha jumped, seeing a chain of red mountains in the distance. Far ahead to the north, across a rock-strewn gulf, was a chain of low-lying mountains locked away behind an otherworldly wall of haze. The sun turned the chain of mountains on the western horizon an amber red, but it was slowly engulfed by the creeping darkness. Most of it is in the Serra de Tramuntana, the chain of mountains that runs across the north of the island. The Rocky Mountains form a majestic chain stretching from Canada through central Mexico. Synonyms row 2.3 A group of hotels, restaurants, or shops owned by the same company. the agency is part of a nationwide chain as modifier a chain restaurant Example sentencesExamples I own a hotel, a chain of restaurants, several factories and shares in shipping, insurance and defence. Burton said that without a major reduction in labor costs, Giant and Safeway's share of the market will continue to slide, forcing the chains to cut jobs. Under pressure from powerfully conservative retail chains, the band was forced to accept a substitute. Making an exception for the Salvation Army might force the chain to welcome other charities that don't sit well with customers. So it's easier to build a lasting business if you make soap or run a retail chain. Orders from restaurant chains and resort hotels were good. Yet the big chains stayed open, forcing smaller competitors to do the same to cater for the small but consistent demand for foreign racing. Mexican merchants own most national supermarket chains, but American and French companies are rapidly gaining influence in this sector. Beginning Jan.1 next year, officials said, the trial will become a compulsory regulation for all fast-food chain stores. One major southern chain was forced last week to buy in vegetables from England after it became clear Irish suppliers were unable to meet demand. The Corporation has a chain of 14 hotels in prime locations of Goa. These wines will be offered to other distributors, as well as to key retailers and small hotel and restaurant chains across the country. GUS owns retail chain Argos as well as a number of catalogue brands. In Blackheath, even the few chain stores are run like small local shops. The clients range from big chain stores, government right down to small businesses. What's the problem with the ABC running a retail chain? What's the largest fast junk food chain in the country? Supermarket chain Tesco has joined forces with Pendleside Hospice in a bid to smash this year's fundraising targets. His company has the size to survive such a hit, he says, but many travel companies and hotel chains have been cutting staff, reducing shifts and eliminating holiday pay and benefits. The department-store chain was forced by the Takeover Panel to issue a statement on Friday after a steady rise in its share price last week. Synonyms group multiple shop/store, multiple, firm, company 2.4British A situation in which the sale of a house or flat is dependent on the prospective buyer selling their own or the seller buying another first. our offer was accepted this morning and there's no chain Example sentencesExamples I am beginning to wonder if you want to sell me a property - I am a cash buyer, I have no chain - what's going on? However, some will offer to do so out of goodwill, or if you are seen as a good buyer, for example, because you are not in a chain. There's apparently no chain on the other end, so moving in should be as fast as it takes to sort out the paperwork - maybe four to six weeks. Most houses in the UK are sold as links in a chain, where buyers and sellers are all linked together in sequence. I put an offer in on October 10 and we're stuck in a chain and have no idea when it'll be sorted. For those in a chain, vendors should be aware that the days of the easily obtainable bridging loan are long gone. You'd think I wasn't sitting here, cash (sorta) buyer, no chain. 2.5 A part of a molecule consisting of a number of atoms bonded together in a linear sequence. Example sentencesExamples Lewis structures can also be written for more complex molecules that have a chain of bonded atoms instead of a single central atom. Thermoplastics consist of long carbon chains that are covalently bonded to chains of other atoms. Diene elastomers can be recognized by the presence of double bonds in the main chains of the macromolecular molecules. Fatty acids that contain double bonds between carbon atoms in their chain are termed unsaturated fatty acids. Here, the molecule is drawn out with the longest chain of carbon atoms as the central part. 2.6 A figure in a quadrille or similar dance, in which dancers meet and pass each other in a continuous sequence. Example sentencesExamples It could be prompted as a quadrille or used as the figure in a singing call or adapted to a patter routine by having the Four Ladies Chain instead of doing the Allemande Left, etc. Step combinations are given for nineteen quadrille figures, such as "right and left," "hands round," "English chain," "ladies' chain," and "balance." The corps performs adaptations of folk-dance like material: chains, circle dances, and crossing steps. 3A jointed measuring line consisting of linked metal rods. Example sentencesExamples The offices of the two ministers of the law were at about equal distance, and resort was had to a surveyor's chain, to ascertain which was nearest. There was also in evidence picket poles, rods, chains and all the instrumental paraphernalia of field work. The chain was a surveyors chain of 22 yds, two men and an umpire measuring the hit. 3.1 A measure of length equivalent to a chain (66 ft). Example sentencesExamples Shallow streams and intermittent streams without well defined channel or banks are not meandered, even when more than 3 chains wide. Frank Lenthal's winning hit that broke a thirty year record at Elland, West Yorkshire was 13 chains 6 yards and 2 feet. Regular lots are 30 chains wide and 66.67 chains in depth. The original family home built in 1123 AD is a traditional square Norman castle four chains wide with turrets two chains high at each of the four corners. 4chainsA structure of planks projecting horizontally from a sailing ship's sides abreast of the masts, used to widen the basis for the shrouds. Example sentencesExamples To stand "in the chains" means to stand upon the chain-wale between two shrouds, from where the leadsman heaves the hand-lead to measure water depth. Special platforms were built for the leadsman, but the term chains was retained. She was accidentally rammed by HMS Warrior in thick weather in the winter of 1867, losing boats, chains, shrouds and back stays. verb tʃeɪntʃeɪn [with object] 1Fasten or secure with a chain. she chained her bicycle to the railings Example sentencesExamples For Brockovich, being an environmentalist is not about chaining oneself to a tree but ‘intercepting deceit.’ Supermarket giants like Tesco began chaining trolleys after finding customers were using them to take their shopping home. Once in place, the loadmasters had to chain the heavily armored vehicles securely to the floor. On September 3, two protesters held up delegates travelling to the show for 40 minutes by chaining themselves to two trains. Peace campaigners today chained themselves to gates at Menwith Hill in an effort to shut down the North Yorkshire spy base. The iron hooks that prisoners were chained to are still visible on the walls. Diane King had even taken the precaution of chaining the baskets to brackets on the outside wall of her house, but the thieves still managed to take them. Always chain your bike to something other than itself. Graham chained his bike to the bike rack and they met up at the train. We thought of getting another one and chaining it to a tree or to a cement-locked stake in the ground, but then we realized we were getting a bit too much of an eerie glow in our eyes. There was nothing we could have done to make this more secure, short of chaining the airplanes to the ground. I'm confused, what did you morons hope to achieve by chaining yourself to railings and preventing ordinary, decent, working people from going about their business? All the bikes were chained to each other and to the wall with a padlock. The group, which has already staged road blockades on major routes, has not ruled out deploying tactics such as chaining themselves to railings and lying on roads. She mounted a campaign of opposition, chaining herself to the gates in an attempt to highlight the gross injustice. Home-owner Richard Gavan had thought that chaining his treasured Piaggio Liberty to the pipe under his front window was a foolproof way of keeping it safe. Synonyms tie, secure, fasten, tether, hitch, bind, rope, moor restrain, shackle, fetter, manacle, handcuff, hobble confine, imprison rare trammel, gyve 1.1 Confine with a chain. he had been chained up figurative as an actuary you will not be chained to a desk Example sentencesExamples You know, Rather prides himself on not being chained to the anchor desk. Movement was restricted because I was chained up, there was little chance of exercise. Cartooning as a day job meant chaining yourself to your table, scratching out a living in silence, interrupted only by frequent trips to the coffee shop. When wolves stalk the flock, best not to chain the dogs. It never said exactly what it was he did, but it must have been pretty bad, because he was all chained up. I was chained up for most of the previous four and a half years. I'm talking about when Dumbo comes to see his mother but she's all chained up and can't get to him. She couldn't remember how long she had been chained up, or what day it was. They are chained inside tents or cordoned off in small areas of fields by circus owners in the hope of drawing in profits. I refuse to be chained to a desk, and I won't be. The man had already made sure the pooch in the yard he was about to deliver to was chained up. Kellerman gets chained to a desk while his past in the Arson department gets scrutinized. Mr Lowe said although his stud dogs were chained up they had huge pens. My fertile imagination cannot be chained to administerial tasks. I've never been unhappier than when I was chained to a terminal for nine hours a day. They had a huge Alsatian that they kept chained up in the side passage leading to their garden. A sibling showed authorities a pair of handcuffs he said were used to chain his brother in the basement, according to charging documents. It hasn't worked for Haw so far, and I'm not sure it will, but I'm a bit worried that it might work for my pro-hunting Yorkshire friend next time she chains herself to the Commons railings. Houdini could get out of a glass box full of water in a couple of minutes, even chained up and in a straitjacket. Two guys wake up chained by their legs in a disused washroom. Phrases drag the chain informal Work slowly and ineffectively; lag behind. the government is dragging the chain on this issue Example sentencesExamples We have to contrast its dragging the chain on conservation with its pushing ahead on economic growth. Most car makers are dragging the chain in using the new technology, despite their low cost. She challenged the "myth" that the party had dragged the chain on migrant issues. We have said 30 days, and if the Minister drags the chain he can stretch it out to 60. Dragging the chain and mindless dissing of people who are trying to push us in the right direction is simply foolish. It would have assisted employers to know when someone was not just dragging the chain but also taking ruthless advantage. He was inclined to drag the chain, though, and needed the occasional, "Come on, dad!" A more reasonable excuse for buying them would be to convince allies we are not "dragging the chain" and so deserve protection, should we need it. A smart State would not drag the chain; it would not only keep up with the rest of the country but it would lead the country. The local plod was dragging the chain when it came to enforcing the 2.00 a.m. closing time. pull (or yank) someone's chain informal Tease someone by leading them to believe something untrue. he's just pulling your chain Example sentencesExamples When you can't tell if the tech is dead serious or yanking your chain, it's time to hang up. That should have tipped me off that he was either yanking my chain or wasn't someone to be taken seriously. But the IMF, still bailing out Indonesia, has yanked the government 's chain, delaying until May the next $400 million loan payment. But if I find out you've been yanking my chain, it will get very unpleasant. For all I know, you're some kind of hacker, or somebody I know who is yanking my chain. Centre Manager Tim Campbell said he was delighted when the congratulatory letter arrived, although at first he suspected someone was pulling his chain. Or are you just yanking my chain to see how I'll react? I've let this slander pass, because I think the audience realizes he's just yanking my chain, and because he was also kind enough to invite me to guest host the show. It was after being caught speeding while trying to get my wife to her compulsory speed awareness course that it struck me: the police were yanking my chain. I only hope they weren't just pulling my chain when they took my info, that's all. Synonyms make fun of, poke fun at, chaff, make jokes about, rag, mock, laugh at, guy, satirize, be sarcastic about Origin Middle English: from Old French chaine, chaeine, from Latin catena 'a chain'. Rhymes abstain, appertain, arcane, arraign, ascertain, attain, Bahrain, bane, blain, brain, Braine, Cain, Caine, campaign, cane, cinquain, champagne, champaign, Champlain, Charmaine, chicane, chow mein, cocaine, Coleraine, Coltrane, complain, constrain, contain, crane, Dane, deign, demesne, demi-mondaine, detain, disdain, domain, domaine, drain, Duane, Dwane, Elaine, entertain, entrain, explain, fain, fane, feign, gain, Germaine, germane, grain, humane, Hussein, inane, Jain, Jane, Jermaine, Kane, La Fontaine, lain, lane, legerdemain, Lorraine, main, Maine, maintain, mane, mise en scène, Montaigne, moraine, mundane, obtain, ordain, Paine, pane, pertain, plain, plane, Port-of-Spain, profane, rain, Raine, refrain, reign, rein, retain, romaine, sane, Seine, Shane, Sinn Fein, skein, slain, Spain, Spillane, sprain, stain, strain, sustain, swain, terrain, thane, train, twain, Ujjain, Ukraine, underlain, urbane, vain, vane, vein, Verlaine, vicereine, wain, wane, Wayne noun.1 phr. Definition of chain in US English: chain nountʃeɪnCHān 1A connected flexible series of metal links used for fastening or securing objects and pulling or supporting loads. he slid the bolts on the front door and put the safety chain across the drug dealer is being kept in chains Example sentencesExamples Elephants are tethered by chains so people can climb on them for a cute photo for a fee of 10 yuan. The Rainbow Warrior had been blockading the military port until police boarded the ship on Saturday night and cut her anchor chain forcing the ship into dock. The guards jerked at the chains forcing the slaves to stumble forward as they were led towards the huge mansion. Prisoners in chains appear in the Mutombo, Kalema, and Nguba paintings. I followed him into the room and he yanked a chain hanging from the ceiling. More often than not, temple elephants kept in chains and overfed without enough exercise become fat. Four men in a stolen red Vauxhall Cavalier attacked the stand-alone cash machine by placing a metal chain around it and pulling it out onto the pavement. Olivier was shackled with 25 pounds of chains and forced to sleep on a hard concrete prison floor for over eight years. Then began the search for a chain or strong rope. They hung off the ground and were suspended by massive chains attached to the ceiling. Four feet of open air separated them, and four feet of heavy chain bound them together. He had a collar around his neck with a chain dangling from it. He lunged forward, but the heavy chains around his ankles brought him crashing back down to the ground. In that performance, the magician was tied with metal chains and secured by 50 locks. The second time he did the trick with me, he pulled the chain… and the links kinked up and caught together, preventing the loop from falling apart. Future projects for the most famous illusionist since David Copperfield include being thrown off Tower Bridge while tied in chains and weighted down with lead. The coils are contained within a steel cylinder fitted with fins, which would float just below the surface of the water, anchored to the sea-bed by chains, and rotated by the force of the tides. There were heavy, rusty chains around her wrists and ankles that hurt when they tightened. They yanked on her chains forcing her to bend and twist at their will like a puppet on strings. He was taken away in chains while the villagers looked on and cheered. Synonyms fetters, shackles, bonds, irons, leg irons, manacles, handcuffs 1.1 A series of decorative metal links worn as a decoration; a necklace. Example sentencesExamples Both she and her mother wear jewelry, earrings; the girl also wears a chain with some gold trinkets, the mother, beads. She leaned away from him and lifted the gold chain from around her neck. This example would have been worn on a chain round the neck, proudly displayed like an order or badge of loyalty. The earrings, chains, chokers and necklaces stood out for their designs - elegant but subdued, stylish yet not loud. Snapping the bracelets on and the chain around my neck, I came to sliding the leather belt around my slender waist only to put the two chains on it. He wears the outfit of the young man about town, jeans, a colourful t-shirt, shiningly bright white trainers, a thick silver chain round his neck and one on his wrist, but there is a depth, too. She was no longer biting her fingernail, but fidgeting with the gold cross on a chain around her neck. I reached inside my blouse and pulled out a silver chain with a silver ring on it. At the foot of Mark's pulpit, positioned in the foreground, is an unmistakable self-portrait of Gentile; round his neck hangs the chain presented to him by Mehmed. Sapphires and jet decorated a chain around his neck, the gems glittering as coldly as his eyes. He approached a car queueing at the drive-through, reached through the window and grabbed a gold chain from round the driver's neck. He was wearing a grey vest with six silver chains round his neck. She took the pendant and clasped the chain around her neck. He wears a gold chain around a neck that is thick as a thigh. The lady also shows the girdle of a Franciscan tertiary visible at her knee, an affiliation confirmed by the brown scapular pendant on a gold chain around her neck. Dressed up in a track suit with a baseball cap, rings on his finger and a silver chain round his neck, the 25 years old explains to the Vacuum how to get most of the brew. When Maradona appears on Dancing With The Stars via satellite on Friday he is wearing two stud earrings, a heavy crucifix on a chain around his neck, jeans and a red T-shirt tight enough to keep no secrets. Sometimes they enjoyed big success, as with the debt restructuring at Signet, the jewellery chain, and Wembley. And she will be wearing Steve's wedding ring on a chain around her neck. As in many countries, wealthier men sometimes wear large gold chains around their necks. Synonyms locket, medallion, drop, stone 1.2chains short for snow chains 1.3chains A force or factor that binds or restricts someone. the chains of illness Example sentencesExamples As Jean Jacques Rousseau said - man is born free, but everywhere in chains. Do the work, stay in the shadows, accept what you are given and never think of organizing to challenge the structure that holds you in chains. Are we meant to consider that the arrival of the electronic book signals a new freedom for the reader, casing off the restrictive chains of the traditional book? In a slave society, where body and mind are in chains, music portrays the fairer sex as a creature to be enslaved. A small group started a movement that got the support of a nation to bring down an ideology that kept the country in chains. 2A sequence of items of the same type forming a line. he kept the chain of buckets supplied with water Example sentencesExamples On November 3 an underwater path to safety was marked with stakes and lined with a chain of small boats crewed by firefighters. Roughly around midnight the disco music stopped and a chain of exotic dancers paraded onto the floor. In some lost hours we made a chain of chairs, balancing on two legs, and made them topple one after each other like domino tiles. The Balaton Highland is a chain of rolling hills north of Lake Balaton and south of the Veszprem Plateau, rising some 200 m above the lake level. In the northwest Pacific you can see a whole series of seamount chains that were formed by hotspots. One hundred million years ago Tobago was in the Pacific, part of a chain of volcanic islands. The day had been bright until then, but we'd noticed a bank of fog building up steadily on the outside of the island chain, flopping its forelock languidly over the mountain ridges, waiting for a breeze to give it a leg up. At the large camp with the horses, look for a wooden box next to the tents in the middle of the chain of tents. Through the Desert is a pretty clever game, but as a themed game it stinks - camels simply don't line up in endless chains across the burning wastelands. Organizers set up a chain of tents and makeshift toilets to accommodate the protestors. Standing upon the Tor, one's eye is drawn to the chain of hills running across the south, forming one lip of the bowl surrounding the Levels. The slumps form a chain of isolated hills easily recognizable in the elevation model. Synonyms series, succession, string, sequence, train, trail, run, pattern, progression, course, set, line, row, concatenation 2.1 A sequence or series of connected elements. a chain of events the food chain Example sentencesExamples The discovery of an aircraft he claims crashed into the sea after being badly damaged sets in train a shocking chain of events that forces him to confront his own demons from the war. Nor will there be learning/teaching as occurs in chains of command or chains of functional support. And leaving the Waratahs set in motion the chain of events that took him to Ireland. The full direction is therefore necessary where ‘… lies constitute an important element in the chain of proof.’ And the Rayong plant may have the distinction of operating the world's longest supply chain. All three of these systems create a movement, and if any portion of the kinetic chain does not work efficiently the movement is compromised, forcing other systems in the body to jump in and help out. But how could this boy start in motion a chain of events that would elicit such turmoil? None of the carcasses entered the human food supply chain or were rendered. It's a chain of successful events strung together to accomplish one goal. The logical chain leading from recovery from illness to an understanding of the animals' language is similarly opaque. Neville's actions set in motion a chain of events that have become depressingly familiar these days. The food supply chain is comprised of inputs and outputs, explains Wilson. It wouldn't happen, even though (ex hypothesi) the government decision is part of the causal chain leading to the violence in question. The arrival of Ali, her cousin from Iran, sets forth a chain of events, forcing a re-examination of her background and the world around her. Further down the value chain, copper, lead and aluminium were all on the climb. Negligent intervening acts may or may not break the chain of causation. The Defendant's intention to terminate in any event breaks the chain of causation. Crime, like everything else, has causes, some of which are injustices, and the presence of a wrong in the causal chain leading to a crime does not normally constrain state action. The uncertainty surrounding him would cause a chain of events and interviews, due diligence any team looking to acquire Williams in a trade would insist upon. It identified the length of the reporting chains as a factor in why so much intelligence was unreliable. Synonyms period, spell, stretch, spate, bout 2.2 A range of mountains. a chain of volcanic ridges Example sentencesExamples Far ahead to the north, across a rock-strewn gulf, was a chain of low-lying mountains locked away behind an otherworldly wall of haze. The view from the high ground includes endless chains of towering mountains, running from horizon to horizon. Within the Tethyan belt, Turkey is well known for extensive areas of ophiolitic rocks in the mountains of the Alpine chain. The sun turned the chain of mountains on the western horizon an amber red, but it was slowly engulfed by the creeping darkness. Most of it is in the Serra de Tramuntana, the chain of mountains that runs across the north of the island. From Tardets you can see the Pyrenean mountains rising up into a chain that extends all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. Sasha jumped, seeing a chain of red mountains in the distance. On the landward side it was now white-capped mountain ranges, ranks of huge mountains that joined with the chain running down the centre of the continent. In the far north are the alps; in Sicily, the Madonie form yet another chain of central mountains. It is a region of hot, dry, windswept plains broken in places by chains of low mountains. A chain of mountains, the Apennines, juts down the center of the peninsula. Many ridges of the Rocky Mountain chain exceed 2000 m elevation, and some have glaciers occupying the mountain tops and high valleys. Far on the horizon, there was a chain of mountains. Ahead of him he saw a great shining sea and nearby was a chain of tall, snow-topped mountains. The Rocky Mountains form a majestic chain stretching from Canada through central Mexico. It was climbing up over a tall chain of mountains. A smaller chain of mountains, nowhere near as tall as Zenith ran along the outer rim of the rain forest of the northern territory, separating the land of the lizards from the rest of Darikoth to the south. The mountains touching the coast are steep and joined to the chain further inland. South along the chain of mountains you'll find the peak of Eriagon above the lake at the western entrance of Muriah. The central spine of mountains, a last fling of the Andean chain, are matted in rainforest, threaded with trails, cooled by waterfalls and home to more birds per square mile than anywhere in the world. Synonyms row 2.3 A group of establishments, such as hotels, stores, or restaurants, owned by the same company. as modifier a chain restaurant the nation's largest hotel chain Example sentencesExamples Making an exception for the Salvation Army might force the chain to welcome other charities that don't sit well with customers. Yet the big chains stayed open, forcing smaller competitors to do the same to cater for the small but consistent demand for foreign racing. Burton said that without a major reduction in labor costs, Giant and Safeway's share of the market will continue to slide, forcing the chains to cut jobs. These wines will be offered to other distributors, as well as to key retailers and small hotel and restaurant chains across the country. The clients range from big chain stores, government right down to small businesses. The department-store chain was forced by the Takeover Panel to issue a statement on Friday after a steady rise in its share price last week. Under pressure from powerfully conservative retail chains, the band was forced to accept a substitute. So it's easier to build a lasting business if you make soap or run a retail chain. What's the largest fast junk food chain in the country? Orders from restaurant chains and resort hotels were good. In Blackheath, even the few chain stores are run like small local shops. I own a hotel, a chain of restaurants, several factories and shares in shipping, insurance and defence. One major southern chain was forced last week to buy in vegetables from England after it became clear Irish suppliers were unable to meet demand. GUS owns retail chain Argos as well as a number of catalogue brands. His company has the size to survive such a hit, he says, but many travel companies and hotel chains have been cutting staff, reducing shifts and eliminating holiday pay and benefits. Supermarket chain Tesco has joined forces with Pendleside Hospice in a bid to smash this year's fundraising targets. Beginning Jan.1 next year, officials said, the trial will become a compulsory regulation for all fast-food chain stores. Mexican merchants own most national supermarket chains, but American and French companies are rapidly gaining influence in this sector. The Corporation has a chain of 14 hotels in prime locations of Goa. What's the problem with the ABC running a retail chain? Synonyms group 2.4 A part of a molecule consisting of a number of atoms (typically carbon) bonded together in a linear sequence. Example sentencesExamples Thermoplastics consist of long carbon chains that are covalently bonded to chains of other atoms. Diene elastomers can be recognized by the presence of double bonds in the main chains of the macromolecular molecules. Lewis structures can also be written for more complex molecules that have a chain of bonded atoms instead of a single central atom. Fatty acids that contain double bonds between carbon atoms in their chain are termed unsaturated fatty acids. Here, the molecule is drawn out with the longest chain of carbon atoms as the central part. 2.5 A figure in a quadrille or similar dance, in which dancers meet and pass each other in a continuous sequence. Example sentencesExamples The corps performs adaptations of folk-dance like material: chains, circle dances, and crossing steps. It could be prompted as a quadrille or used as the figure in a singing call or adapted to a patter routine by having the Four Ladies Chain instead of doing the Allemande Left, etc. Step combinations are given for nineteen quadrille figures, such as "right and left," "hands round," "English chain," "ladies' chain," and "balance." 3A jointed measuring line consisting of linked metal rods. Example sentencesExamples The offices of the two ministers of the law were at about equal distance, and resort was had to a surveyor's chain, to ascertain which was nearest. There was also in evidence picket poles, rods, chains and all the instrumental paraphernalia of field work. The chain was a surveyors chain of 22 yds, two men and an umpire measuring the hit. 3.1 A measure of length equivalent to a chain (66 ft.). Example sentencesExamples The original family home built in 1123 AD is a traditional square Norman castle four chains wide with turrets two chains high at each of the four corners. Frank Lenthal's winning hit that broke a thirty year record at Elland, West Yorkshire was 13 chains 6 yards and 2 feet. Shallow streams and intermittent streams without well defined channel or banks are not meandered, even when more than 3 chains wide. Regular lots are 30 chains wide and 66.67 chains in depth. 3.2American Football A measuring chain of ten yards, used in the determination of first downs. Example sentencesExamples Having cameras mounted on the end holders for the First Down Chain would have the perfect angle to let you see whether or not the football passed the marker. So let's make a rule that the clock stops to reset the chains and the line of scrimmage after every first down in the last five minutes of each half. The answer is nothing, and I think there may be more of them in the college game because of the rule that stops the clock to reset the chains after every first down. 4chainsA structure of planks projecting horizontally from a sailing ship's sides abreast of the masts, used to widen the basis for the shrouds. Example sentencesExamples She was accidentally rammed by HMS Warrior in thick weather in the winter of 1867, losing boats, chains, shrouds and back stays. To stand "in the chains" means to stand upon the chain-wale between two shrouds, from where the leadsman heaves the hand-lead to measure water depth. Special platforms were built for the leadsman, but the term chains was retained. verbtʃeɪnCHān [with object] 1Fasten or secure with a chain. she chained her bicycle to the railing Example sentencesExamples Supermarket giants like Tesco began chaining trolleys after finding customers were using them to take their shopping home. The iron hooks that prisoners were chained to are still visible on the walls. Always chain your bike to something other than itself. Diane King had even taken the precaution of chaining the baskets to brackets on the outside wall of her house, but the thieves still managed to take them. We thought of getting another one and chaining it to a tree or to a cement-locked stake in the ground, but then we realized we were getting a bit too much of an eerie glow in our eyes. I'm confused, what did you morons hope to achieve by chaining yourself to railings and preventing ordinary, decent, working people from going about their business? On September 3, two protesters held up delegates travelling to the show for 40 minutes by chaining themselves to two trains. All the bikes were chained to each other and to the wall with a padlock. Home-owner Richard Gavan had thought that chaining his treasured Piaggio Liberty to the pipe under his front window was a foolproof way of keeping it safe. Peace campaigners today chained themselves to gates at Menwith Hill in an effort to shut down the North Yorkshire spy base. There was nothing we could have done to make this more secure, short of chaining the airplanes to the ground. For Brockovich, being an environmentalist is not about chaining oneself to a tree but ‘intercepting deceit.’ Once in place, the loadmasters had to chain the heavily armored vehicles securely to the floor. Graham chained his bike to the bike rack and they met up at the train. The group, which has already staged road blockades on major routes, has not ruled out deploying tactics such as chaining themselves to railings and lying on roads. She mounted a campaign of opposition, chaining herself to the gates in an attempt to highlight the gross injustice. Synonyms tie, secure, fasten, tether, hitch, bind, rope, moor 1.1 Confine with a chain. he had been chained up figurative as an actuary you will not be chained to a desk Example sentencesExamples Cartooning as a day job meant chaining yourself to your table, scratching out a living in silence, interrupted only by frequent trips to the coffee shop. A sibling showed authorities a pair of handcuffs he said were used to chain his brother in the basement, according to charging documents. She couldn't remember how long she had been chained up, or what day it was. I'm talking about when Dumbo comes to see his mother but she's all chained up and can't get to him. My fertile imagination cannot be chained to administerial tasks. When wolves stalk the flock, best not to chain the dogs. It hasn't worked for Haw so far, and I'm not sure it will, but I'm a bit worried that it might work for my pro-hunting Yorkshire friend next time she chains herself to the Commons railings. They had a huge Alsatian that they kept chained up in the side passage leading to their garden. Mr Lowe said although his stud dogs were chained up they had huge pens. Kellerman gets chained to a desk while his past in the Arson department gets scrutinized. Two guys wake up chained by their legs in a disused washroom. The man had already made sure the pooch in the yard he was about to deliver to was chained up. I was chained up for most of the previous four and a half years. Houdini could get out of a glass box full of water in a couple of minutes, even chained up and in a straitjacket. I've never been unhappier than when I was chained to a terminal for nine hours a day. I refuse to be chained to a desk, and I won't be. They are chained inside tents or cordoned off in small areas of fields by circus owners in the hope of drawing in profits. Movement was restricted because I was chained up, there was little chance of exercise. You know, Rather prides himself on not being chained to the anchor desk. It never said exactly what it was he did, but it must have been pretty bad, because he was all chained up. Phrases pull (or yank) someone's chain informal Tease someone by leading them to believe something untrue. Example sentencesExamples For all I know, you're some kind of hacker, or somebody I know who is yanking my chain. That should have tipped me off that he was either yanking my chain or wasn't someone to be taken seriously. But the IMF, still bailing out Indonesia, has yanked the government 's chain, delaying until May the next $400 million loan payment. I've let this slander pass, because I think the audience realizes he's just yanking my chain, and because he was also kind enough to invite me to guest host the show. It was after being caught speeding while trying to get my wife to her compulsory speed awareness course that it struck me: the police were yanking my chain. But if I find out you've been yanking my chain, it will get very unpleasant. When you can't tell if the tech is dead serious or yanking your chain, it's time to hang up. Or are you just yanking my chain to see how I'll react? I only hope they weren't just pulling my chain when they took my info, that's all. Centre Manager Tim Campbell said he was delighted when the congratulatory letter arrived, although at first he suspected someone was pulling his chain. Synonyms make fun of, poke fun at, chaff, make jokes about, rag, mock, laugh at, guy, satirize, be sarcastic about Origin Middle English: from Old French chaine, chaeine, from Latin catena ‘a chain’. noun.1 phr.
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