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chain reaction

American  

noun

  1. Physics. a self-sustaining reaction in which the fission of nuclei of one generation of nuclei produces particles that cause the fission of at least an equal number of nuclei of the succeeding generation.

  2. Chemistry. a reaction that results in a product necessary for the continuance of the reaction.

  3. a series of events in which each event is the result of the one preceding and the cause of the one following.

chain reaction British  

noun

  1. a process in which a neutron colliding with an atomic nucleus causes fission and the ejection of one or more other neutrons, which induce other nuclei to split

  2. a chemical reaction in which the product of one step is a reactant in the following step

  3. a series of rapidly occurring events, each of which precipitates the next

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
chain reaction Scientific  

  1. A process in which the result of one event triggers another event, usually of the same kind, which in turn triggers yet another event, so that the overall reaction tends to be self-sustaining. Nuclear fission reactions are chain reactions, in which the splitting of an atomic nucleus releases neutrons that penetrate other nuclei, causing them to split. The spread of heat through a substance is also a chain reaction, as fast-moving molecules in a hot part of the substance collide with neighboring molecules, passing on their kinetic energy to them, thereby making more of the substance warmer.

  2. See more at fission See Note at nuclear reactor See also kinetic theory

chain reaction Cultural  

  1. In chemistry and physics, a self-sustaining series of reactions. In a chain reaction in a uranium-based nuclear reactor, for example, a single neutron causes the nucleus of a uranium atom to undergo fission. In the process, two or three more neutrons are released. These neutrons start more fissions, which produce more neutrons, and so on.

chain reaction Idioms  

  1. A series of events in which each influences or gives rise to the next event, as in If one person collects substantial damages by suing a company, you can expect a chain reaction of such lawsuits. The term originated in the physical sciences, first (1920s) chemistry and later (1940) physics; in the latter it denotes a process of nuclear fission. By the 1940s it had been transferred to more general use.

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Figuratively speaking, any group of events linked so that one is the cause of the next can be called a “chain reaction.”

Etymology

Origin of chain reaction

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This chain reaction caused extensive calving, breaking apart nearly half the glacier in a matter of weeks.

From Science Daily

Uranium is the primary fuel used in nuclear reactors, but it needs to be enriched by separating the more radioactive particles that create a chain reaction to release energy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Until now, researchers did not know which nuclease was responsible for triggering this destructive chain reaction, making it impossible to design therapies aimed at stopping it.

From Science Daily

Losing control for just 24 hours carries a 30% chance of a major collision that could kick off the long chain reaction leading to Kessler syndrome.

From Science Daily

Because leukotrienes trigger a chain reaction that tightens the airways, drugs were developed to block their effects and ease breathing.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.