paper chain
1
1.6
- noun
- /ˈpeɪpər tʃeɪn/
:
cadena de papel
- Ben had made at nursery school a rocking horse Ricky had chosen with his grandmother, a paper chain Adam had made, and a fairy that looked like Jeannie.
- make paper chains
Examples
-
And this is a paper chain of angels.
-
If you stop crying, we'll even make some paper chains! Stop crying!
Fiction book (2001) -
"You're gonna stay here and help Flossy make paper chains."
Fiction book (2001) -
Someone had looped a glittery paper chain around two of the walls at eye level, and it added to the air of failed festivity.
Fiction book (1990) -
The children excitedly hung a colorful paper chain to decorate the classroom for the party.
-
For the school fair, the students made a long paper chain using bright colors to liven up the gym.
-
During the holiday season, we created a festive paper chain to embellish our living room.
Synonyms
1
4.1
A string of daisies linked together and used as a decoration
A string of flowers worn or hung for decoration
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is a straightforward, literal compound of 'paper' + 'chain' so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a chain made from paper (linked paper loops). This follows normal noun–noun composition patterns and is cross-linguistically common, making the meaning predictable and transparent.
Etymology
Paper chain comes from a simple craft where strips of paper are made into loops and linked together like a chain. Because people make these linked paper rings to decorate rooms for parties, the name means a decorative 'chain' used for celebrations.