chain lightning
1
7.4
- noun
- /tʃeɪn ˈlaɪt.nɪŋ/
- The storm was illuminated by streaks of chain lightning arcing across the sky.
Examples
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Scientists studied photos of chain lightning to understand its complex, zigzagging pattern.
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Did you see that chain lightning last night?
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As the thunder rumbled, a bolt of chain lightning split into several forks above the field.
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The storm produced a spectacular display of chain lightning.
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As the thunder rumbled, a bolt of chain lightning split into several forks above the field.
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Scientists studied photos of chain lightning to understand its complex, zigzagging pattern.
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The storm was illuminated by streaks of chain lightning arcing across the sky.
Synonyms
360
1.0
A sudden bright flash in the sky during a storm caused by electricity
1
6.7
A bright flash of lightning with branches that split from the main line
How Branched
1
6.7
1
7.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound transparently combines 'chain' (a linked series) with 'lightning' (an electrical flash), so a learner who knows both words can infer the general idea of lightning that links or jumps between things. However, the precise, conventionalized gaming sense — a single attack that hits one target and then arcs sequentially to nearby targets — is a specialized metaphorical extension and may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Chain lightning comes from the image of a lightning bolt that splits into linked forks like a chain across the sky. So it means 'a type of lightning that moves quickly in a zigzag path and branches'.