Meaning

29 senses

  1. A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.

    He wore a gold chain around the neck.

    The anchor is connected to the boat with a 100-metre long chain.

    a series of (usually metal) rings or links fitted into one another to make a flexible ligament

  2. A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.

    An accessory, adornment or insignia comprising, containing or depicting a series of links.

    wallet chain

  3. A livery collar, a chain of office.

  4. (figuratively)That which confines, fetters, or secures; a bond.

    the chains of habit

    кандалы́kandalý, око́выokóvy

    кайда́ниkajdány

  5. (plural, usually)A snow chain.

    He put chains on my tires.

  6. A bicycle chain.

    My bike needs a chain.

  7. A pair of sticks connected by a ten yard chain, used to measure a down in American football.

  8. A watchchain.

    His watch's chain was gold-plated.

  9. A keychain.

    Get the key off my chain.

  10. (slang)A necklace of chain jewelry, usually gold.

    They knocked him out and snatched his chain.

  11. A door chain.

    I couldn't open the door because it was on its chain.

  12. A series of interconnected links of known length, used as a measuring device.

Examples

323 sentences

  1. Tom gave Mary a key on a silver chain.

    Том дав Мері ключ на срібному ланцюжку. — miketheknight

    ruТом дал Мэри ключ на серебряной цепочке. — Wezel

    CM · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. Tom chained himself to a tree.

    Том прикував себе до дерева. — deniko

    ruТом приковал себя к дереву. — astru

    deTom kettete sich an einen Baum. — jayrod84

    jayrod84 · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.

    Ланцюг не міцніший від найслабшої ланки. — deniko

    ruЦепь не крепче своего самого слабого звена. — odexed

    deEine Kette ist nicht stabiler als ihr schwächstes Glied. — Esperantostern

    qdii · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. I'm a chain smoker.

    Я завзятий курець. — deniko

    ruЯ заядлый курильщик. — odexed

    deIch bin Kettenraucher. — Waldelfe

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. Tom is just pulling your chain.

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 4
series of interconnected rings or links:
series of interconnected things:
that which confines, fetters:
series of stores or businesses with the same brand name:
Русский
By meaning 4
series of interconnected rings or links:
series of interconnected things:
that which confines, fetters:
series of stores or businesses with the same brand name:
Deutsch
By meaning 1
series of interconnected rings or links:

Origin

From Middle English cheyne, chaine, from Old French chaeine, chaene (“chain”), from Latin

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.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: chains
Singularchain
Pluralchains

regular

Synonyms

14 synonyms
stringA2rackleacre's breadthstreak
Close in meaning
  • a necklace made by stringing objects together:stringstrand
  • a series of things depending on each other as if linked together:concatenation
  • (chemistry) a series of linked atoms (generally in an organic molecule):chemical chain
  • British biochemist (born in Germany) who isolated and purified penicillin, which had been discovered in 1928 by Sir Alexander Fleming (1906-1979):Ernst Boris ChainSir Ernst Boris Chain
  • a series of hills or mountains:rangemountain rangerange of mountainsmountain chainchain of mountains

Word family

179 related words
Relatedcatenulatecatenate
Derivedacademy chainairchainantichainbackchainball chainbelly chainbeta chainblockchainblock chainbranched-chainbrequet chaincatenachainablechainagechain armourchain binderchain boatchainboltchain bridgechain cablechain casechaincasechain codechain complex

Collocations

5 patterns
  • a chain smoker
  • a chain saw
  • chain saw
  • chain smoker
  • be a chain

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
chagrinchaichainsawchairA1

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

chain — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto