food chain
A 'food chain' illustrates the flow of energy and nutrients through a series of organisms, each dependent on the next for sustenance.
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Definition
B2Ecology
(technical, academic)A sequence of organisms where each one is eaten by the next in the chain, starting from producers and ending with apex predators or decomposers.
Example
- In the food chain, grass is eaten by rabbits, which are then preyed upon by foxes.
C1General
(idiomatic)A hierarchy where each level depends on the one below it.
Example
- In the corporate food chain, interns are at the bottom while executives are at the top.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "food chain":