Definition: chain
Source: WordNet (r) 1.7
chain
n 1: a series of things depending on each other as if linked
together: "the chain of command"; "a complicated
concatenation of circumstances" [syn: concatenation]
2: a series of linked atoms (generally in an organic molecule)
[syn: chemical chain]
3: a series of (usually metal) rings or links fitted into one
another to make a flexible ligament
4: a number of similar establishments (stores or restaurants or
banks or hotels or theaters) under one ownership
5: anything that acts as a restraint
6: a unit of length
7: British biochemist (born in Germany) who isolated and
purified penicillin, which had been discovered in 1928 by
Sir Alexander Fleming (1906-1979) [syn: Chain, Ernst
Boris Chain, Sir Ernst Boris Chain]
8: a series of hills or mountains; "the valley was between two
ranges of hills"; "the plains lay just beyond the mountain
range" [syn: range, mountain range, range of
mountains, mountain chain, chain of mountains]
9: metal shackles; for hands or legs [syn: iron, irons, chains]
10: a necklace made by a stringing objects together; "a string
of beads" or "a strand of pearls" [syn: string, strand]
v : fasten or secure with chains; "Chain the chairs together"
[ant: unchain]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Pattern box, chain, or cylinder (Figure Weaving), devices, in a loom, for presenting several shuttles to the picker in the proper succession for forming the figure. Pattern card. (a) A set of samples on a card. (b) (Weaving) One of the perforated cards in a Jacquard apparatus. Pattern reader, one who arranges textile patterns. Pattern wheel (Horology), a count-wheel.
Chain \Chain\, n. [F. cha[^i]ne, fr. L. catena. Cf. Catenate.] 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. 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. 3. 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. 4. (Surv.) An instrument which consists of links and is used in measuring land. Note: 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. 5. pl. (Naut.) Iron links bolted to the side of a vessel to bold the dead-eyes connected with the shrouds; also, the channels. 6. (Weaving) 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 (Zo["o]l.), 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 formul[ae] 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.
Chain \Chain\, v. t. [imp. p. p. Chained (ch[=a]nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Chaining.] 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. To unite closely and strongly. And in this vow do chain my soul to thine. --Shak. 4. (Surveying) To measure with the chain. 5. To protect by drawing a chain across, as a harbor.
Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (2003-OCT-10)
chain 1. <operating system> (From BASIC's "CHAIN" statement) To pass control to a child or successor without going through the operating system command interpreter that invoked you. The state of the parent program is lost and there is no returning to it. Though this facility used to be common on memory-limited microcomputers and is still widely supported for backward compatibility, the jargon usage is semi-obsolescent; in particular, Unix calls this exec. Compare with the more modern "subshell". 2.A series of linked data areas within an operating system or application program. "Chain rattling" is the process of repeatedly running through the linked data areas searching for one which is of interest. The implication is that there are many links in the chain. 3. A possibly infinite, non-decreasing sequence of elements of some total ordering, S x0 <= x1 <= x2 ... A chain satisfies: for all x,y in S, x <= y \/ y <= x. I.e. any two elements of a chain are related. ("<=" is written in LaTeX as \sqsubseteq). [Jargon File] (1995-02-03)
Source: Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001)
chain 1. vi. [orig. from BASIC's `CHAIN' statement] To hand off execution to a child or successor without going through the OS command interpreter that invoked it. The state of the parent program is lost and there is no returning to it. Though this facility used to be common on memory-limited micros and is still widely supported for backward compatibility, the jargon usage is semi-obsolescent; in particular, most Unix programmers will think of this as an exec. Oppose the more modern `subshell'. 2. n. A series of linked data areas within an operating system or application. `Chain rattling' is the process of repeatedly running through the linked data areas searching for one which is of interest to the executing program. The implication is that there is a very large number of links on the chain.
Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Chain
(1.) A part of the insignia of office. A chain of gold was
placed about Joseph's neck (Gen. 41:42); and one was promised to
Daniel (5:7). It is used as a symbol of sovereignty (Ezek.
16:11). The breast-plate of the high-priest was fastened to the
ephod by golden chains (Ex. 39:17, 21).
(2.) It was used as an ornament (Prov. 1:9; Cant. 1:10). The
Midianites adorned the necks of their camels with chains (Judg.
8:21, 26).
(3.) Chains were also used as fetters wherewith prisoners were
bound (Judg. 16:21; 2 Sam. 3:34; 2 Kings 25:7; Jer. 39:7). Paul
was in this manner bound to a Roman soldier (Acts 28:20; Eph.
6:20; 2 Tim. 1:16). Sometimes, for the sake of greater security,
the prisoner was attached by two chains to two soldiers, as in
the case of Peter (Acts 12:6).
