chain

verb

chained; chaining; chains

transitive verb

1

: to obstruct or protect by a chain

2

: to fasten, bind, or connect with or as if with a chain

also : fetter

Synonyms of chain

• bind
• tie
• shackle
• hamper

Examples of chain in a Sentence

She chained her bicycle to the post and went inside.

chaining up the dog in the backyard

Recent Examples on the Web

Mythos, the existence of which was first reported by Fortune in March, is notable for its coding and cyber capabilities, including the ability to find vulnerabilities in existing software and chain these vulnerabilities together to execute sophisticated cyber attacks. —Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 29 May 2026

In a May 18 Facebook post, the Fort Worth Fire Department (FWFD) shared the story of Jake, a pitbull who was found chained to the flagpole outside Station 8 in the early morning hours of May 16. —Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026

Interestingly, the modular design allows operators to rapidly assemble, connect, and scale up their power capacity by stacking or chaining additional units. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026

The footage, which was originally posted on Reddit, shows the dog, a pit bull named West, chained to the rack on the back of a truck traveling through Lincoln Heights, according to the California Highway Patrol. —Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 18 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing chain

• a human chain
• ball and chain
• chain belt
• chain gang
• chain letter
• chain-link fence
• chain mail
• chain of command
• chain pickerel
• chain reaction
• chain rule
• chain saw
• chain/sequence/series of events
• chain-smoke
• chain stitch
• chain store
• choke chain
• daisy-chain
• food chain
• Gunter's chain
• heavy chain
• key chain
• light chain
• long-chain
• Markov chain
• mountain chain
• open chain
• polymerase chain reaction
• pull the chain
• pull/yank someone's chain
• side chain
• straight chain
• supply chain
• timing chain

Rhymes for chain

• ane
• bane
• blain
• brain
• cane
• chaine
• cheyne
• deign
• drain
• fain
• fane
• feign

Kids Definition

chain

1 of 2 noun

ˈchān 

1

a

: a series of connected links or rings

b

: a measuring instrument of 100 links used in surveying

c

: a unit of length equal to 66 feet (about 20 meters)

2

: something that restricts or binds : bond

3

a

: a series of things joined together as if by links

a chain of mountains

a chain of events

b

: a number of atoms united like links in a chain

chain

2 of 2 verb

: to fasten, bind, or connect with or as if with a chain

Medical Definition

chain

noun

ˈchān 

1

: a series of things (as bacteria) linked, connected, or associated together

2

: a number of atoms or chemical groups united like links in a chain