| chain | |
| 1. n. A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal. | |
| He wore a gold chain around the neck. | |
| 2. n. A series of interconnected things. | |
| a chain of mountains | |
| a chain of ideas, one leading to the next | |
| This led to an unfortunate chain of events. | |
| 3. n. A series of stores or businesses with the same brand name. | |
| That chain of restaurants is expanding into our town. | |
| 4. n. (chemistry) A number of atoms in a series, which combine to form a molecule. | |
| When examined, the molecular chain included oxygen and hydrogen. | |
| 5. n. (surveying) A series of interconnected links of known length, used as a measuring device. | |
| 6. n. (surveying) A long measuring tape. | |
| 7. n. A unit of length equal to 22 yards. The length of a Gunter's surveying chain. The length of a cricket pitch. Equal to 20.12 metres, 4 rods, or 100 links. | |
| 8. n. (mathematics, set theory, order theory) A totally ordered set, especially a totally ordered subset of a poset. | |
| 9. n. (British) A sequence of linked house purchases, each of which is dependent on the preceding and succeeding purchase (said to be "broken" if a buyer or seller pulls out). | |
| 10. n. That which confines, fetters, or secures; a bond. | |
| the chains of habit | |
| 11. n. (nautical, in the plural) Iron links bolted to the side of a vessel to bold the dead-eyes connected with the shrouds; also, the channels. | |
| 12. n. (weaving) The warp threads of a web. | |
| 13. v. To fasten something with a chain. | |
| 14. v. (intransitive) To link multiple items together. | |
| 15. v. To secure someone with fetters. | |
| 16. v. To obstruct the mouth of a river etc with a chain. | |
| 17. v. (figurative) To obligate. | |
| 18. v. (computing) To relate data items with a chain of pointers. | |
| 19. v. (computing) To be chained to another data item. | |
| 20. v. To measure a distance using a 66-foot long chain, as in land surveying. | |
| 21. v. (transitive, computing, rare, associated with Acorn Computers) To load and automatically run (a program). | |
