to chain
- verb
- /tʃeɪn/
- Why'd you chain the door shut?
- chain together
- chain a dog
- keep chained
Examples
-
We're safe only for as long as we keep it chained and force it to obey us.
Fiction book (1993) -
Because Pop-Pop used to lock me in the attic chained to a radiator.
-
Well, I'll alert the staff and chain up the dogs.
-
Chain yourself to that pipe.
-
Luke and other camp workers' legs are chained together for their attempts to escape.
Academic text (2005) -
As soon as he was cut free, another protestor chained himself to the vehicle in a similar fashion.
Academic text (2000) -
How long had the Addershag been a captive of those men, chained and imprisoned in that cellar?
Fiction book (1992) -
The door was double-locked and chained, and he had a chair propped under the knob.
Fiction book (1991) -
The volunteers decided to chain themselves to the fence to prevent further construction.
-
In a show of protest, they chained their bikes together to block the entrance.
Synonyms
To join or fasten one thing to another so they stay together
Join two things so they form one piece
Fasten something with rope so it cannot move
To tie things together with a thin cord
To tie things together with a loop of material
To tie an animal or object so it cannot move away
To tie someone or something with a chain to keep them from moving
To fasten something securely with rope or cord
To tie or secure something with a strong cord
To join people, places, or things so they become connected
Join things so they can work together
To tie the legs and wings of a bird so it cooks evenly
Connect things so they depend on each other
To tie things together with rope to hold them in place
To fasten something with a strong wire or rope
To tie someone with chains or hold them under close control
To link things together in a chain
Antonyms
To separate something so it is no longer joined, for example remove a cable or turn off power
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
A system in an organization where instructions move from people at the top to people below
- Specialized
A process in which one nuclear event makes more nuclear events happen, keeping the reaction going
A store that is part of a group owned by the same company and sells the same goods
- Specialized
A series of chemical or nuclear reactions in which one reaction makes the next start
A heavy chain or strong rope that connects a boat to the metal piece that holds it in place
- Texting
An email that asks you to forward it to many people, often with threats or promises
- Specialized
A genetic illness that makes urine smell like maple syrup and can damage the brain in young children
- Archaic
A fast, noisy machine that hits metal letters against paper to make many pages of text
- Specialized
A machine that makes nuclear energy by splitting atoms in a controlled chain reaction
- Specialized
A line of loops made with thread used in embroidery or crochet to make a chain pattern on fabric
- Specialized
A hand tool with a chain loop that grips and turns pipes or other round things
- US
A protective shirt made of small metal rings linked together, worn by knights and soldiers
- Specialized
A fern with long leaves that have chainlike rows of small spore cases underneath
- Specialized
A long series of atoms joined together that forms part of a molecule like in plastic
- Specialized
A very large group of atoms joined together in a long chain like in proteins or plastics
A range of hills in northern England that separates rivers flowing to different coasts
- Archaic
A line of towers with moving shutters that send messages people can see over long distances
- Specialized
A North American plant with chain-like leaves that grows in wetlands and wet woods
How Secure
Surface Forms
Etymology
Chain comes from the Latin catena 'chain', and to chain something is to fasten or link it with a chain, which is exactly like joining rings together to hold things in place.