food chain — a series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
Pronunciation (IPA): /fuːd tʃeɪn/
Example Sentences
- My cat thinks she's at the top of the food chain until she sees a cucumber
- Plastic pollution is disrupting ocean food chains worldwide
- In the office food chain, the person who controls the coffee machine is definitely the apex predator
food chain
NOUN[/fuːd tʃeɪn/]
a series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
A simple food chain: grass feeds the rabbit, the rabbit feeds the fox.
Use your brain to grasp the food chain's main design!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Food chain combines two etymologically distinct elements: 'food' derives from Old English 'fōda', related to 'fōdan' meaning 'to feed' or 'nourish', while 'chain' comes from Latin 'catena' meaning 'a chain or series of linked things'. The compound term emerged in ecology to describe the sequential transfer of energy and nutrients among organisms, visualized as interconnected links.
Breakdown
food (Old English 'fōda', nourishment) + chain (Latin 'catena', connected series). The metaphorical combination represents the linked feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat thinks she's at the top of the food chain until she sees a cucumber”
“Plastic pollution is disrupting ocean food chains worldwide”
“In the office food chain, the person who controls the coffee machine is definitely the apex predator”
“Scientists study food chains to understand ecosystem balance”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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