noun
- A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.
- A series of interconnected things.
- A series of stores or businesses with the same brand name.
- A number of atoms in a series, which combine to form a molecule.
- A series of interconnected links of known length, used as a measuring device.
- A long measuring tape.
- A unit of length equal to 22 yards. The length of a Gunter's surveying chain. The length of a cricket pitch. Equal to 20.12 metres, 4 rods, or 100 links.
- A totally ordered set, especially a totally ordered subset of a poset.
- A sequence of linked house purchases, each of which is dependent on the preceding and succeeding purchase (said to be "broken" if a buyer or seller pulls out).
- That which confines, fetters, or secures; a bond.
- (in the plural) Iron links bolted to the side of a vessel to bold the dead-eyes connected with the shrouds; also, the channels.
- The warp threads of a web.
Synonyms: rackle
verb
- To fasten something with a chain.
- To link multiple items together.
- To secure someone with fetters.
- To obstruct the mouth of a river etc with a chain.
- To obligate.
- To relate data items with a chain of pointers.
- To be chained to another data item.
- To measure a distance using a 66-foot long chain, as in land surveying.
- (associated with Acorn Computers) To load and automatically run (a program).
Pronunciation
About this word
Chain is a 2-meaning word in English. Medium-length words often have several interesting anagrams.
This page shows the definition of chain along with every other word you can make from its letters. Click the link above to see all anagrams and shorter words formed from the same set of letters.
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- Find anagrams — click "Other words from chain's letters" to see every word you can spell using the same letters.
Words in word games
If you are playing a word game, knowing whether a word is valid is essential. Chain appears in our 370,000-word English dictionary, which includes most words accepted in Scrabble and Words With Friends. However, always check the official word list for the specific game you are playing, as different games use different dictionaries.
Scrabble
In Scrabble, the valid word lists are the Official Tournament and Club Word List (OTCWL/NWL) for North America and the Collins Scrabble Words (CSW) for international play. Our dictionary covers most words in both lists, but some proper nouns, abbreviations, and offensive terms may differ.
Wordle
Wordle uses its own curated word list that is smaller than the full Scrabble dictionary. If Chain appears here, it may or may not be a valid Wordle answer — but it is a real English word regardless.
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