food chain

noun

1

: an arrangement of the organisms of an ecological community according to the order of predation in which each uses the next usually lower member as a food source

2

: a hierarchy based on power or importance

at the top of the corporate food chain

Examples of food chain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Illustration by Patricia Bolaños In today’s New York, dive bars are an increasingly rare species, steadily losing their place in the economic food chain to sexier establishments that are more amenable to influencers and their algorithms. —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025

The entree is available for a limited time while supplies last, according to the fast casual Chinese food chain. —Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025

Fortunately for Castro, someone at the top of the Hollywood food chain was looking out for him. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025

These blooms release toxins that accumulate in the food chain, posing a threat to fish, land animals, and even humans. —Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for food chain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

Kids Definition

food chain

noun

: a series of organisms in which each uses the next usually lower member of the series as a food source