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

The fast food chain is relaunching its Fried Apple Pie on June 23 at participating locations nationwide for a limited time, according to a press release shared with PEOPLE. —Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026

With a steadily brightening Sun, when does the Earth either get too hot or too CO2-starved for the base of the food chain to survive? —Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 15 June 2026

The domoic acid works its way up the food chain, often in anchovies and sardines, which are then eaten by pelicans, sea lions, whales and other animals. —Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 15 June 2026

Higher-level inmates gorge themselves; those below face starvation, suicide or cannibalism – a brutal metaphor for the world’s food chain. —John Hopewell, Variety, 12 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