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

Fast food chains such as Taco Bell, McDonald's and Wendy's also have footprints at Walmart stores, along with several regional operators such as Auntie Anne's. —Nicholas P. Brown, USA Today, 8 June 2026

These highly aggressive fish pose a threat to native species and can disrupt food chains by eating and outcompeting native fish, according to the United States Geological Survey. —Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026

Italy’s already squeezed farmers are under strain by large supermarket and food chains. —Matteo Moschella, NBC news, 4 June 2026

Clover Food Lab, the vegetarian fast food chain that closed all of its Boston-area restaurants last week, is already set to reopen. —Neal Riley, CBS News, 3 June 2026

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