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long-chain

American

[lawng-cheyn, long-] / ˈlɔŋˌtʃeɪn, ˈlɒŋ- /

adjective

Chemistry.

pertaining to molecules composed of long chains of atoms, or polymers composed of long chains of monomers.

long-chain British

adjective

chem having a relatively long chain of atoms in the molecule

"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

Etymology

Origin of long-chain

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.

The study found no increase in harmful liver fats known as long-chain ceramides, while levels of beneficial very long-chain ceramides rose.

From Science Daily • Feb. 8, 2026

Though amber is chemically different from most plastics, it is also made of complex long-chain organic molecules that can survive for millions of years when buried in the ground.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2024

At the time, the thinking was that short-chain chemicals were safer; testing and scientific study into long-chain chemicals was more extensive.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 23, 2023

The bile salts surround long-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides forming tiny spheres called micelles.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

But even in ordering these building blocks into long-chain molecules, there has been substantial laboratory progress.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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