a series of rings or links, fitted into one another, and thus connected as a whole.

also denotes a kind of string of twisted wire, serving to hang watches, tweeser cases, and valuable toys upon. The invention of this piece of curious work belongs to the English; and hence, in foreign countries, it is denominated the English chain.

in surveying, is a measure consisting of a certain number of links of iron wire, usually a hundred; and serving to take the dimensions of fields, &c. This is what Mersenne takes to be the arripendium of the ancients.

The chain is of various dimensions, as the length or the number of links varies: that commonly used in measuring land, called Gunter's chain, is in length four poles or perches; or sixty-six feet, or a hundred links, each link being seven inches long; and hence it is easy to reduce any number of these links to feet, or any number of feet to links.