open chain

noun Chemistry.

a series of atoms linked in a chain not joined together at its ends, and so represented in its structural formula.
Compare closed chain.

Origin of open chain

First recorded in 1880–85

OTHER WORDS FROM open chain

o·pen-chain, adjective

Words nearby open chain

open bite, open book, open brethren, open call, open carry, open chain, open chain compound, open cheque, open chest massage, open circuit, open circuit method

Example sentences from the Web for open chain

  • Carbohydrates are classed as open-chain compounds, that is, they may be regarded as derivatives of the aliphatic hydrocarbons.

    The Chemistry of Plant Life |Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher

  • However, the ordinary aldehyde reactions of the sugars are more clearly indicated by the open-chain formula.

    The Chemistry of Plant Life |Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher

British Dictionary definitions for open chain

open chain

noun

a chain of atoms in a molecule that is not joined at its ends into the form of a ring

Scientific definitions for open chain

open chain

An arrangement of atoms of the same type that does not form a ring. Aliphatic compounds, such as ethane and isopropyl alcohol, are open-chain compounds.