WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
chain′ light′ning, 
    1. Meteorology, Dialect Terms[Chiefly Northeastern and Western U.S.]lightning that seems to move very quickly in wavy or zigzag lines.
    2. MeteorologySee bead lightning. 
    • 1825–35, American.

'chain lightning' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
bead lightning

Forum discussions with the word(s) "chain lightning" in the title:


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