chain

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chain [noun] (CONNECTED THINGS)

a set of connected or related things

US /tʃeɪn/ 
UK /tʃeɪn/ 
Example: 

She has built up a chain of 180 bookshops across the country.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

noun
a line of metal rings that are joined together:
Round her neck she wore a gold chain.
My bicycle chain is broken.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

chain

I. chain1 S3 W2 /tʃeɪn/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: chaeine, from Latin catena]
1. JOINED RINGS [uncountable and countable] a series of metal rings which are joined together in a line and used for fastening things, supporting weights, decoration etc ⇨ link:
She had a gold chain around her neck.
a length of heavy chain
the Mayor’s chain of office (=a decoration worn by some British officials at ceremonies)
pull the chain British English (=flush the toilet)
a bicycle chain (=that makes the wheels turn) ⇨ ↑jewellery
2. CONNECTED EVENTS [countable] a connected series of events or actions, especially which lead to a final result:
the chain of events that led to World War I
The salesmen are just one link in the chain (=part of a process) of distribution.
a rather complicated chain of reasoning ⇨ ↑chain of command, ↑food chain
3. SHOPS/HOTELS [countable] a number of shops, hotels, cinemas etc owned or managed by the same company or person
chain of
a chain of restaurants
hotel/restaurant/retail etc chain
several major UK supermarket chains ⇨ ↑chain store
4. CONNECTED LINE [countable] people or things which are connected or next to each other forming a line
mountain/island chain
the Andean mountain chain
chain of atoms/molecules etc technical:
a chain of amino acids
They formed a human chain (=a line of people who pass things from one person to the next) to move the equipment.
daisy chains (=flowers tied together)
5. PRISONERS [countable usually plural] metal chains fastened to the legs and arms of a prisoner, to prevent them from escaping
in chains
He was led away in chains.
ball and chain (=a chain attached to someone’s ankle at one end with a heavy metal ball at the other)
6. BUYING A HOUSE [countable usually singular] British English a number of people buying houses, where each person must complete the sale of their own house before they can buy the next person’s house
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ types of chain
a big/major/large chain It is one of Europe’s biggest clothing chains.
a hotel chain Hilton is an international hotel chain.
a supermarket chain Many people buy all their food at one of the major supermarket chains.
a retail chain (=one whose business is buying and selling goods) Large retail chains usually want to expand and build more stores.
a department store/video store/food store etc chain Morgan was the owner of a computer store chain.
a restaurant chain the Pizza Hut restaurant chain
a grocery chain These are two of Florida’s largest grocery chains.
a fast-food chain the fast-food chain, Burger King
a national/nationwide chain He was head of a national chain of grocery stores.
■ phrases
be part of a chain The hotel is part of the MacDonald chain.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 4)
■ types of chain
a mountain chain The town of Besançon lies at the end of the Jura mountain chain.
an island chain the island chain from Asia to Australasia
a human chain (=a large number of people who form a line, a circle etc to do something) Riot police formed human chains to block demonstrators.
a chain of atoms/molecules etc technical: Most fabrics are made of long chains of molecules.
■ verbs
form a chain They formed a human chain passing buckets of water to the fire.
• • •
THESAURUS
mountain a very high hill: the highest mountain in Austria
hill an area of land that is higher than the land around it, which is like a mountain but smaller and usually has a rounded top: We went for a walk in the hills. | The house is surrounded by woods, farmland and gentle hills.
Mount (also Mt written abbreviation) used in the names of mountains. Don’t say ‘Fuji Mountain’ – say ‘Mount Fuji’: Mount Everest
cliff the steep side of an area of land, often next to the sea: the white cliffs of Dover
precipice especially literary a very steep and dangerous cliff: They were standing on the edge of a precipice.
crag a high steep rock or mountain: An eagle sailed over the high crags.
ridge a long narrow area of high ground, especially at the top of a mountain: I could see a group of climbers high up on a ridge.
knoll a small round hill: a grassy knoll
volcano a mountain with a large hole at the top, through which ↑lava (=hot liquid rock) is sometimes forced out: the eruption of a volcano
summit the very highest point of a mountain: the summit of Mt Everest
peak especially literary the top of a mountain: the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas | a distant peak
range/chain a group of mountains or hills arranged in a line: the mountain range that is part of the border between Norway and Sweden
foothills a group of smaller hills below a range of high mountains: the Sierra foothills

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

chain

chain [chain chains chained chaining] noun, verb   [tʃeɪn]    [tʃeɪn]

noun

METAL RINGS
1. countable, uncountable a series of connected metal rings, used for pulling or fastening things; a length of chain used for a particular purpose
a short length of chain
She wore a heavy gold chain around her neck.
The mayor wore his chain of office.
• a bicycle chain

• The prisoners were kept in chains (= with chains around their arms and legs, to prevent them from escaping).  

CONNECTED THINGS

2. countable a series of connected things or people
to set in motion a chain of events
a chain of command (= a system in an organization by which instructions are passed from one person to another)
mountain/island chains
Volunteers formed a human chain to rescue precious items from the burning house.

see also  food chain  

OF SHOPS/HOTELS

3. countable a group of shops/stores or hotels owned by the same company

• a chain of supermarkets/a supermarket chain  

RESTRICTION

4. countable, usually plural (formal or literary) a thing that restricts sb's freedom or ability to do sth

• the chains of fear/misery  

IN HOUSE BUYING

5. countable, usually singular (BrE) a situation in which a number of people selling and buying houses must each complete the sale of their house before buying from the next person
see ball and chain at  ball  n., a link in the chain at  link  n., the weak link (in the chain) at  weak  
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French chaine, chaeine, from Latin catena ‘a chain’.  
Thesaurus:
chain noun C
It was all part of a chain of events.
seriessequencestringsuccessionline|especially BrE catalogue
a chain/series/sequence/string/succession/line/catalogue of sth
a chain/series/sequence/string/succession of events
a/an long/endless/continuous/unbroken chain/series/sequence/string/succession/line 
Example Bank:
Let the dog off its chain.
Our suppliers are the weakest link in the chain.
Put the chain on the door before you go to bed.
She wore a long gold chain around her neck.
The mayor was wearing his chain of office.
The people formed a human chain to pass the supplies up the beach.
The prisoner was led away in chains.
There has been an unbroken chain of great violinists in the family.
They kept the dog on a chain all day long.
This hotel is part of a large chain.
a chain of clothes shops
a chain of department stores
a chain of volcanic islands
efforts to ensure that dioxins do not enter the food chain
the complex chain of events that led to the war
I was next in the chain of command.
If any part of the chain of infection is broken, the spread of the disease will be stopped.
It's important to make sure the chain of communication is not broken.
Middlemen are important links in the chain.
• She was personally involved in this chain of events.

• Volunteers formed a human chain to pass buckets of water to each other.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

chain / tʃeɪn / noun [ C ] (CONNECTED THINGS)

B2 a set of connected or related things:

She has built up a chain of 180 bookshops across the country.

His resignation was followed by a remarkable chain of events .
 

chain / tʃeɪn / noun (RINGS)

A2 [ C or U ] (a length of) rings usually made of metal that are connected together and used for fastening, pulling, supporting, or limiting freedom, or as jewellery:

The gates were locked with a padlock and a heavy steel chain.

Put the chain on the door if you are alone in the house.

Mary was wearing a beautiful silver chain around her neck.

See picture plug

in chains tied with chains:

The hostages were kept in chains for 23 hours a day.

[ plural ] a fact or situation that limits a person's freedom:

At last the country has freed itself from the chains of the authoritarian regime.
 

chain / tʃeɪn / noun UK (HOUSE SALE)

[ C ] a situation in which someone selling their house cannot complete the sale because the person who wants to buy it needs to sell their house first:

Some sellers refuse to exchange contracts with buyers who are in a chain.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

chain

[tʃe͟ɪn]
 ♦♦♦
 chains, chaining, chained

 1) N-COUNT A chain consists of metal rings connected together in a line.
  His open shirt revealed a fat gold chain...
  The dogs were leaping and growling at the full stretch of their chains.
 2) N-PLURAL: in N If prisoners are in chains, they have thick rings of metal round their wrists or ankles to prevent them from escaping.
  He'd spent four and a half years in windowless cells, much of the time in chains.
 3) N-PLURAL: oft N of n You can refer to feelings and duties which prevent you from doing what you want to do as chains. [LITERARY]
  He had to break right now the chains of habit that bound him to the present.
  Syn:
  fetters
 4) VERB If a person or thing is chained to something, they are fastened to it with a chain.
  [be V-ed to n] The dog was chained to the leg of the one solid garden seat...
  [V n to n] She chained her bike to the railings...
  [V n to n] Some demonstrators chained themselves to railings inside the court building...
  [V-ed] We were sitting together in our cell, chained to the wall. [Also V n adv/prep]
  Syn:
  tie
 PHRASAL VERB
 Chain up means the same as chain. V n P I'll lock the doors and chain you up... V-ed P They kept me chained up every night and released me each day... Also V P n (not pron) V-ed P All the rowing boats were chained up.
 5) N-COUNT: N of n A chain of things is a group of them existing or arranged in a line.
  ...a chain of islands known as the Windward Islands...
  Students tried to form a human chain around the parliament.
 6) N-COUNT: with supp A chain of shops, hotels, or other businesses is a number of them owned by the same person or company.
  ...a large supermarket chain.
  ...Italy's leading chain of cinemas.
 7) N-SING: N of n A chain of events is a series of them happening one after another.
  ...the bizarre chain of events that led to his departure in January 1938.
  Syn:
  series
 8) → See also food chain
  Phrasal Verbs:
  - chain up

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

1chain /ˈʧeɪn/ noun, pl chains
1 a : a series of usually metal links or rings that are connected to each other in a line and used for supporting heavy things, for holding things together, for decoration, etc.

[count]
• The neighbor's dog is kept on a chain. [=is connected to a chain that keeps it from getting away]
• She wore a beautiful gold chain [=necklace] around her neck.
• the ship's anchor chain
• a bicycle chain

[noncount]
• We'll need 25 feet of chain for the pulley.
- see pictures on page C11 and at bicycle; see also choke chain, key chain
b [count] : a chain that is attached to the arms or legs of a prisoner - usually plural
• The prisoners were kept in chains while being transferred to the new jail.
- often used figuratively
• The contract would keep the employees in chains, unable to leave the company for at least five years.
- see also ball and chain
2 [count] : a series or group of things or people that are connected to each other in some way
• a chain of islands
• The world's longest mountain chain [=group of mountains that form a long line] is the Andes.
• The new book chronicles the chain of events leading up to the crime.
• Protesters formed a human chain [=they stood next to each other with their arms linked] around the ancient tree to prevent it from being cut down.
- see also daisy chain, food chain
3 [count] : a group of businesses (such as stores, restaurants, or hotels) that have the same name and basic appearance and sell the same products or services
• They own a chain of organic grocery stores.
• fast-food/clothing chains also; : the company that owns such a group of businesses
• The hotel chain recently opened a new hotel in Hong Kong.
- see also chain store
4 [count] Brit : a number of people who each want to buy a house but must first sell their current house before moving to the next one - usually singular
• Both houses are currently vacant so there is no chain to worry about.
pull the chain Brit : to flush a toilet
pull/yank someone's chain US informal : to deceive someone in a friendly or playful way
• I thought he really won the lottery but he was only pulling my chain. [=he was only playing a joke on me]