Main Entry: chain reaction

Function: noun

Date: circa 1902

1 a : a series of events so related to each other that each one initiates the next b : a number of events triggered by the same initial event
2 : a self-sustaining chemical or nuclear reaction yielding energy or products that cause further reactions of the same kind

— chain–re·act \ˈchān-rē-ˈakt\ intransitive verb