chain gang

American  

noun

1. a group of convicts chained together, especially when working outside.

---

chain gang British  

noun

1. a group of convicted prisoners chained together, usually while doing hard labour

---

Etymology

Origin of chain gang

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

King was arrested in Atlanta and sentenced to four months on a chain gang.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

The AP went out on a work detail with a Florida chain gang wearing black-and-white striped uniforms and ankle shackles, created after Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey took office in 2012.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 29, 2024

The next year, he joined fellow organizers in protesting segregation in Rock Hill, S.C., where he was arrested and refused bail, serving 30 days of hard labor on a chain gang.

From Washington Post • Oct. 13, 2022

“Another Man Done Gone,” the third and final song on the first side of Blood, Sweat and Tears, effectively tells us what happened to the convict who fled the chain gang in the previous song.

From Slate • Dec. 7, 2021

The sharpness in his voice told her that he was thinking about the chain gang too, and remembering their two little ones, just about the size of Minty, who had gone away like that.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry