branched-chain
|branched-chain|
🇺🇸
/ˈbræntʃtˌtʃeɪn/
🇬🇧
/ˈbrɑːn(t)ʃtˌtʃeɪn/
chain with branches
Etymology
'branched-chain' is a modern compound formed from the past participle 'branched' (from the verb 'branch') and the noun 'chain'. 'branch' originates from Old French 'branche' (from Late Latin 'branca' meaning 'paw' or 'branch'), and 'chain' originates from Old French 'chaine' (from Latin 'catena', where 'catena' meant 'chain').
'branched-chain' developed from the two-word phrase 'branched chain' used in English (19th–20th century) in technical and scientific writing; over time, especially in chemistry and biochemistry, the phrase became commonly hyphenated as 'branched-chain' when used adjectivally.
Initially it meant simply 'a chain that has branches' in a general, literal sense; over time it gained a specialized technical sense in chemistry/biochemistry to describe molecules with side chains (for example, 'branched-chain amino acids').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a chain that has one or more branches; used as a noun phrase (often written without a hyphen) to refer to such a structure.
The polymer contained several branched-chain segments that affected its melting point.
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Adjective 1
having one or more side branches; not strictly linear — used to describe something (often a physical or abstract chain) that forks or branches.
The engineer described the network's topology as a branched-chain structure rather than a simple loop.
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Adjective 2
in chemistry and biochemistry, describing an organic molecule whose carbon backbone has side chains (branches) rather than being a straight chain (e.g., branched-chain amino acids).
Branched-chain amino acids play a key role in muscle metabolism.
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Last updated: 2025/12/07 20:00