CHAIN, n.

1. A series of links or rings connected, or fitted into one another, usually made of some kind of metal, as a chain of gold, or of iron; but the word is not restricted to any particular kind of material. It is used often for an ornament about the person.
2. That which binds; a real chain; that which restrains, confines, or fetters; a bond. If God spared not the angels that sinned, but delivered them into chains of darkness. – 2 Peter ii.
3. Bondage; affliction. He hath made my chain heavy. – Lam. iii.
4. Bondage; slavery. In despotism the people sleep soundly in their chains. – Ames.
5. Ornament. – Prov. i. 9.
6. A series of things linked together; a series of things connected or following in succession; as, a chain of causes, of ideas, or events; a chain of being.
7. A range, or line of things connected; as, a chain of mountains.
8. A series of links, forming an instrument to measure land.
9. A string of twisted wire, or something similar, to hang a watch on, and for other purposes.
10. In France, a measure of wood for fuel, and various commodities, of various length.
11. In ship building, chains are strong links or plates of iron, bolted at the lower end to the ship's side, used to contain the blocks called dead eyes, by which the shrouds of the mast are extended.
12. The warp in weaving, as in French.
13. Chain, in surveying land, is in length four rods or perches, or sixty-six feet. It consists of one hundred links, each link seven inches, 92/100. Chain-pump. This consists of a long chain, equipped with a sufficient number of valves, moving on two wheels, one above, the other below, rising downward through a wooden tube and returning through another. It is managed by a long winch, on which several men may be employed at once. – Encyc. Chain-shot, two balls or half balls connected by a chain, and used to cut down masts, or cut away shrouds and rigging. Chain-wales of a ship, broad and thick planks projecting from a ship's side, abreast of and behind the masts, for the purpose of extending the shrouds, for better supporting the masts, and preventing the shrouds from damaging the gunwale. – Encyc. Chain-work, work consisting of threads, cords and the like, linked together in the form of a chain; as, lineal chaining or tambour work, reticulation or net work, &c. – Ed. Encyc. Top-chain, on board a ship, a chain to sling the sail-yards in time of battle, to prevent their falling, when the ropes that support them are shot away. – Encyc.

1. To fasten, bind, or connect with a chain; to fasten or bind with any thing in the manner of a chain.
2. To enslave; to keep in slavery. And which more blest? Who chain'd his country, say, / Or he whose virtue sigh'd to lose a day? – Pope.
3. To guard with a chain, as a harbor or passage.
4. To unite; to form chain-work.

1. A series of links or rings, usually of metal, connected, or fitted into one another, used for various purposes, as of support, of restraint, of ornament, of the exertion and transmission of mechanical power, etc.
   
   

   [They] put a chain of gold about his neck.
   Dan. v. 29.

2. To fasten, bind, or connect with a chain] to fasten or bind securely, as with a chain; as, to chain a bulldog.
   
   

   Chained behind the hostile car.
   Prior.

3. That which confines, fetters, or secures, as a chain; a bond; as, the chains of habit.
   
   

   Driven down
   To chains of darkness and the undying worm.
   Milton.

4. To keep in slavery; to enslave.
   
   

   And which more blest? who chained his country, say
   Or he whose virtue sighed to lose a day?
   Pope.

5. A series of things linked together; or a series of things connected and following each other in succession; as, a chain of mountains; a chain of events or ideas.
6. To unite closely and strongly.
   
   

   And in this vow do chain my soul to thine.
   Shak.

7. An instrument which consists of links and is used in measuring land.
   
   

   * One commonly in use is Gunter's chain, which consists of one hundred links, each link being seven inches and ninety-two one hundredths in length; making up the total length of rods, or sixty-six, feet; hence, a measure of that length; hence, also, a unit for land measure equal to four rods square, or one tenth of an acre.

8. To measure with the chain.
9. Iron links bolted to the side of a vessel to bold the dead-eyes connected with the shrouds; also, the channels.
10. To protect by drawing a chain across, as a harbor.
    
    

11. The warp threads of a web.
    
    
    Knight.

    Chain belt (Mach.), a belt made of a chain; -- used for transmitting power. -- Chain boat, a boat fitted up for recovering lost cables, anchors, etc. -- Chain bolt (a) (Naut.) The bolt at the lower end of the chain plate, which fastens it to the vessel's side. (b) A bolt with a chain attached for drawing it out of position. -- Chain bond. See Chain timber. -- Chain bridge, a bridge supported by chain cables; a suspension bridge. -- Chain cable, a cable made of iron links. -- Chain coral (Zoöl.), a fossil coral of the genus Halysites, common in the middle and upper Silurian rocks. The tubular corallites are united side by side in groups, looking in an end view like links of a chain. When perfect, the calicles show twelve septa. -- Chain coupling. (a) A shackle for uniting lengths of chain, or connecting a chain with an object. (b) (Railroad) Supplementary coupling together of cars with a chain. -- Chain gang, a gang of convicts chained together. -- Chain hook (Naut.), a hook, used for dragging cables about the deck. -- Chain mail, flexible, defensive armor of hammered metal links wrought into the form of a garment. -- Chain molding (Arch.), a form of molding in imitation of a chain, used in the Normal style. - - Chain pier, a pier suspended by chain. -- Chain pipe (Naut.), an opening in the deck, lined with iron, through which the cable is passed into the lockers or tiers. -- Chain plate (Shipbuilding), one of the iron plates or bands, on a vessel's side, to which the standing rigging is fastened. -- Chain pulley, a pulley with depressions in the periphery of its wheel, or projections from it, made to fit the links of a chain. -- Chain pumps. See in the Vocabulary. -- Chain rule (Arith.), a theorem for solving numerical problems by composition of ratios, or compound proportion, by which, when several ratios of equality are given, the consequent of each being the same as the antecedent of the next, the relation between the first antecedent and the last consequent is discovered. -- Chain shot (Mil.), two cannon balls united by a shot chain, formerly used in naval warfare on account of their destructive effect on a ship's rigging. -- Chain stitch. See in the Vocabulary. -- Chain timber. (Arch.) See Bond timber, under Bond. -- Chain wales. (Naut.) Same as Channels. -- Chain wheel. See in the Vocabulary. -- Closed chain, Open chain (Chem.), terms applied to the chemical structure of compounds whose rational formulæ are written respectively in the form of a closed ring (see Benzene nucleus, under Benzene), or in an open extended form. -- Endless chain, a chain whose ends have been united by a link.