chain
noun [ C ]
uk/tʃeɪn/ us COMMERCE
a group of similar businesses, such as restaurants or hotels, which are all owned and controlled by the same organization:
hotel/supermarket/fast-food chain The well-known fast-food chain has expanded to over 20,000 restaurants in 17 countries.
chain restaurants/stores/retailers
a chain of supermarkets/bookstores/department stores
a system of people, processes, or organizations that work together in a particular order:
This unit examines the stages in the chain of production of tea, from the leaves in Sri Lanka to the cup in the UK.
chain of command/power/authority Employee complaints were taken all the way up the corporate chain of command.
PROPERTY UK
a situation in which someone cannot complete the sale of their house because the person who wants to buy it needs to sell their house first:
Some house sellers refuse to exchange contracts with buyers who are in a chain
See also
distribution chain
production chain
supply chain
value chain