- [countable, uncountable]
a series of connected metal rings, used for pulling or fastening things; a length of chain used for a particular purpose 链子；链条；锁链 
She wore a heavy gold chain around her neck. 她戴着一条粗实的金项链。 The mayor wore his chain of office. 市长佩戴着标志他职务的链徽。 a bicycle chain 自行车链条 - in chains
The prisoners were kept in chains (= with chains around their arms and legs, to prevent them from escaping). 囚犯戴着镣铐。 - on a chain
They kept the dog on a chain all day long. 他们整天都用链子拴着狗。 a short length of chain 一截短链条
Extra ExamplesTopics Clothes and Fashionb1Let the dog off its chain. 给那只狗解开链子吧。 The prisoner was led away in chains. 犯人戴着镣铐给带走了。 Put the chain on the door (= so the door can only be opened a little bit) before you go to bed. 睡觉前要上好门链闩。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- heavy
- thin
- gold
- …
- length
- pull
- pull at
- yank
- …
- clank
- in chains
- off somebody’s/the chain
- on a/the chain
- …
- a chain of office
- a chain on the door
- a link in the chain
- …
- [countable]
a series of connected things or people 一系列，一连串（人或事） mountain/island chains 山脉；岛群 Volunteers formed a human chain (= line of people) to rescue precious items from the burning house. 志愿者排成一条长龙，从着火的房子里手传手把贵重物品抢救出来。 - chain of somebody/something
to set in motion a chain of events 触发一连串的事件 a chain of command (= a system in an organization by which instructions are passed from one person to another) 指挥系统 Our suppliers are the weakest link in the chain. 我们的供货商是链条上最薄弱的环节。
Extra ExamplesVolunteers formed a human chain to pass buckets of water to each other. 志愿者排成一条长龙，逐个把水桶传过去。 She was personally involved in this chain of events. 她亲自参与了这一系列事件。 It's important to make sure the chain of communication is not broken. 重要的是要确保沟通链没有断裂。 If any part of the chain of infection is broken, the spread of the disease will be stopped. 如果感染链的任何一部分被打破，疾病的传播将被阻止。 I was next in the chain of command. 我处在指挥系统的下一级。 the complex chain of events that led to the war 导致那场战争的一系列错综复杂的事件 Middlemen are important links in the chain. 中间人是关系链中的重要环节。 There has been an unbroken chain of great violinists in the family. 这个家族每一代都有伟大的小提琴家。 The people formed a human chain to pass the supplies up the beach. 人们排成一列把供给品送上岸。 a chain of volcanic islands 一个火山岛群
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- long
- complex
- unbroken
- …
- break
- reaction
- letter
- a chain of command
- a chain of events
- [countable]
a group of shops or hotels owned by the same company 连锁商店（或旅馆） a supermarket/hotel/retail chain 超市/酒店/零售连锁店 - chain of something
a chain of stores/shops/restaurants 连锁商店/商店/餐馆
Extra ExamplesTopics Shoppingb1a chain of department stores 连锁百货店 a chain of clothes shops 连锁服装店 This hotel is part of a large chain. 这家酒店是大型连锁店的一部份。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- large
- major
- …
- store
- chain of
- part of a chain
- [countable, usually plural] (formal or literary)
a thing that limits somebody’s freedom or ability to do something 约束；束缚 the chains of fear/misery 恐惧的桎梏；苦难的枷锁
- [countable, usually singular] (British English)
a situation in which a number of people selling and buying houses must each complete the sale of their house before buying from the next person 连环式（指一群房主先售后购的置业方式）
metal rings金属链
connected things相关连的事
of shops/hotels商店；旅馆
restriction限制
in house buying购房
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French chaine, chaeine, from Latin catena ‘a chain’.
Idioms
a ball and chain
a problem that prevents you from doing what you would like to do 羁绊；障碍 The responsibility was a ball and chain around my ankle. 这项责任对我来说是一种束缚。
a link in the chain
one of the stages in a process or a line of argument 链条中的一个环节；整个过程中的一个阶段 Food production, processing and marketing are different links in the chain from farmer to consumer. 食品生产、加工和销售是从农民到消费者的不同环节。 Death is the last link in the chain. 死亡是链条的最后一环。
the weak link (in the chain)
the point at which a system or an organization is most likely to fail 薄弱环节 She went straight for the one weak link in the chain of his argument. 她迳直攻击他的论点中的一个薄弱环节。