chain (n.)

  1. a series of things depending on each other as if linked together; the chain of command; a complicated concatenation of circumstances

    [ Syn: concatenation ]

  2. a necklace made by a stringing objects together; a string of beads; a strand of pearls;

    [ Syn: string , strand ]

  3. (chemistry) a series of linked atoms (generally in an organic molecule)

    [ Syn: chemical chain ]

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

  5. (business) a number of similar establishments (stores or restaurants or banks or hotels or theaters) under one ownership

  6. anything that acts as a restraint

  7. a unit of length

  8. British biochemist (born in Germany) who isolated and purified penicillin, which had been discovered in 1928 by Sir Alexander Fleming (1906-1979)

    [ Syn: chain , ernst boris chain , sir ernst boris chain ]

  9. a series of hills or mountains; the valley was between two ranges of hills; the plains lay just beyond the mountain range

    [ Syn: range , mountain range , range of mountains , mountain chain , chain of mountains ]

  10. a linked or connected series of objects; a chain of daisies'

    chain (v.)

  1. connect or arrange into a chain by linking

  2. fasten or secure with chains; Chain the chairs together'

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.