chain reaction
1
4.1
- noun
- /tʃeɪn riˈækʃən/
- Specialized
:
reacción en cadena
- So you get a chain reaction and the explosion just builds up and up and up.
- polymerase chain reaction
Examples
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CONTROL: Well, we have a full-on chain reaction.
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So all you need is enough people for it to create a chain reaction that's sustainable.
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U.S. tariffs on steel imports from Russia and China, as well as other nations, created such a chain reaction.
Academic text (2003) -
When I cross this wire, it'll start a chain reaction that'll blow that mothership back to the Stone Age.
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The explosion triggered a chain reaction that destroyed several nearby buildings.
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The scientist explained how a small spark could cause a chain reaction in the chemical lab.
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In the movie, the hero's actions initiated a chain reaction that ultimately saved the city.
Synonyms
23
5.3
A series of events where one event causes the next
How Fast
36
5.1
- Informal
2
4.2
- Specialized
1
4.1
9
4.0
23
5.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines 'chain' (a series of linked events) with 'reaction' (a chemical/process response), so the idea of a sequence of reactions where each triggers the next is directly derivable from its parts. This composition is cross-linguistically common (e.g. Spanish 'reacción en cadena') and follows standard noun-noun composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
Chain reaction comes from the image of a chain of events where one reaction makes the next one happen, like a row of falling dominoes. That's why in chemistry one reaction can produce something that starts the next reaction, so the whole process continues.