chain
/ˈt͡ʃeɪn/ noun, verb, proper noun
- noun A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal. “He wore a gold chain around the neck.”
- noun An accessory, adornment or insignia comprising, containing or depicting a series of links. “wallet chain”
- noun A livery collar, a chain of office.
- noun (figurative) That which confines, fetters, or secures; a bond. “the chains of habit”
- noun (usually plural) A snow chain. “He put chains on my tires.”
- noun (cycling) A bicycle chain. “My bike needs a chain.”
- noun (American football) A pair of sticks connected by a ten yard chain, used to measure a down in American football.
- noun A watchchain. “His watch's chain was gold-plated.”
- verb (transitive) To fasten something with a chain. “You should chain your bicycle to the railings to protect it from being stolen.”
- verb (figurative) To connect as if with a chain, due to dependence, addiction, or other feelings “Sometimes I feel like I'm chained to this computer.”
- verb (intransitive) To link multiple items together.
- verb (transitive) To secure someone with fetters.
- verb (transitive) To obstruct the mouth of a river etc with a chain.
- verb (figurative) To obligate.
- verb (computing) To relate data items with a chain of pointers.
- verb (computing) To be chained to another data item.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
string rackle acre's breadth streak concatenation chemical chain Ernst Boris Chain Sir Ernst Boris Chain range mountain range range of mountains mountain chain chain of mountains strand
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English cheyne, chaine, from Old French chaeine, chaene (“chain”), from Latin catēna (“chain”), from Proto-Indo-European *kat- (“to braid, twist; hut, shed”). Doublet of catena. Displaced native Middle English rakil and rakent (from Old English racente (“chain”)); see rackan.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A series of links or rings, usually of metal, connected, or fitted into one another, used for various purposes, as of support, of restraint, of ornament, of the exertion and transmission of mechanical power, etc. [They] put a chain of gold about his neck. Dan. v. 29.
- noun That which confines, fetters, or secures, as a chain; a bond; as, the chains of habit.
- verb To fasten, bind, or connect with a chain; to fasten or bind securely, as with a chain; as, to chain a bulldog.
- verb To keep in slavery; to enslave.
Etymology [F. chaîne, fr. L. catena. Cf. Catenate.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “chain”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details