food chain

== English == === Etymology === From food +‎ chain. === Pronunciation === === Noun === food chain (plural food chains) The feeding relationships between species in a biotic community. Coordinate term: food web (an alternative metaphor often considered more apt) (idiomatic) A hierarchy. ==== Usage notes ==== Because the concept of the food chain implies a feeding hierarchy proceeding upwards to a top predator, modern ecologists usually prefer the term food web, since that term allows for a more complicated system of interactions. ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== ==== Further reading ==== food chain on Wikipedia.Wikipedia