a. A connected series of links (of metal or other material) passing through each other, or otherwise jointed together, so as to move on each other more or less freely, and thus form a strong but flexible ligament or string.Chains differ in structure according to the shape of their links and the mode in which these are united; also in material and size, in accordance with their purpose of fastening, restraint, traction, ornament, etc. Hence such qualifying attributes as gold, iron, cable, draught, watch, etc.

b. as a substance. (No plural.)

a. As employed to restrain or fetter; hence a bond or fetter generally; esp. in plural fetters, bonds; abstract confinement, imprisonment, captivity. chain and ball: see ball and chain n.; also attributive and figurative (U.S.).

b. figurative. A binding or restraining force which prevents freedom of action. (Cf. fetter n., bond n.¹)

†c. A constraining force; a bond of union or sympathy; a tie. Obsolete.

a. of action or condition. chain of being(s), (a conception of the universe as) a continuous series or gradation of types of being in order of perfection, stretching from God as the infinite down through a hierarchy of finite beings to nothingness; the scale of being or nature (see scale n.³ 5); chain of command, a series of positions of military or civil authority such that each holder is directly responsible to, and takes his orders from, the next above.

b. of individual facts, acts, events, or the like.

c. A number of cigarettes or cigars smoked in continuous succession. Cf. chain-smoker n. at Compounds 3.

a. of objects purposely connected, or connecting points in a line.

b. of objects naturally disposed in a linear series (with connection actual or imagined).

c. Short for mountain chain n. at mountain n. and adj. Compounds 2a (as in b.).

d. ladies' chain [French chaine des dames] : a part of the second figure in a quadrille.

e. A series of branch businesses, stores, etc., controlled by one owner or firm. Also attributive. (Cf. chain store n. at Compounds 3) originally U.S.

f. A line of people formed for a particular purpose, spec. a bucket chain (see bucket n.¹ Compounds); grand chain: a dance-figure in which each person dances with a line of people one after another (cf. sense 5d).

g. Chemistry. A number of similar atoms (usually of carbon) joined in series in a molecule. closed chain, a ring of similar linked atoms; open chain, one the ends of which are not joined together.

h. Bacteriology. A series of cells joined end to end.

i. Computing. A set of data, records, etc., related by chaining (chaining n. 3); a linear list in which each item except the last contains the address of one successor.

a. A measuring line, used in land-surveying, formed of one hundred iron rods called links jointed together by eyes at their ends.At first chains of varying length were used or proposed; but that described by Gunter in 1623 is the one now adopted; it measures 66 feet or 4 poles, divided into 100 links.

b. A chain's length, as a lineal measure, equal to 66 feet, or 4 poles.An area of ten chains in length by one in breadth, or 100,000 square links = an acre.

a. The part which secures the shroud to the ship's side, now commonly called chain-plate n.

b. plural. The assemblage of chain-wale, chain-plates, dead-eyes, etc., which form the contrivance to extend the basis of the shrouds; usually qualified, as fore-, main-, mizen-chains, according to the mast. in the chains: standing upon the chain-wale between two shrouds (whence the leadsman heaves the hand-lead).