food chain

noun

1
: an arrangement of the organisms of an ecological community according to the order of predation in which each uses the next usually lower member as a food source
2
: a hierarchy based on power or importance
at the top of the corporate food chain

Examples of food chain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Fortunately for Castro, someone at the top of the Hollywood food chain was looking out for him. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025 These blooms release toxins that accumulate in the food chain, posing a threat to fish, land animals, and even humans. Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2025 Freshwater melting from the Greenland ice sheet can weaken ocean currents in the North Atlantic, disrupting air and ocean temperature patterns and marine food chains. Alexandra A Phillips, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025 But also, increasingly, in marine food chains and immense garbage patches in the oceans. New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for food chain

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of food chain was in 1920

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Cite this Entry

“Food chain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/food%20chain. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

food chain

noun
: a series of organisms in which each uses the next usually lower member of the series as a food source
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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