Meaning

10 senses

  1. (transitive)To fasten something with a chain.

    You should chain your bicycle to the railings to protect it from being stolen.

    anketten

    приковатьprikovatʹ

    fasten or secure with chains

  2. (figuratively)To connect as if with a chain, due to dependence, addiction, or other feelings

    Sometimes I feel like I'm chained to this computer.

    She's been chained to her principles since she was 18, it's unlikely you can convince her otherwise.

    connect or arrange into a chain by linking

  3. (intransitive)To link multiple items together.

    ketten

  4. (transitive)To secure someone with fetters.

  5. (transitive)To obstruct the mouth of a river etc with a chain.

  6. (figuratively)To obligate.

  7. To relate data items with a chain of pointers.

  8. To be chained to another data item.

  9. (transitive)To measure a distance using a 66-foot long chain, as in land surveying.

  10. (rare, transitive)To load and automatically run (a program).

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

8 languages
Русский
By meaning 1
to fasten with a chain:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
to fasten with a chain:
to link together:

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

chains, chaining, chained, chained
Base formchain · to chain
3rd person singularchains
Present participlechaining
Past simplechained
Past participlechained

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theychain
he, she, itchains

Past simpleLesson

all personschained

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave chained
he, she, ithas chained

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill chain

Antonyms

1 antonyms
unchain

Word family

2 related words
Derivedunchainchain up

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

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