/ lɪŋk; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
link (between A and B) a connection between two or more people or things :
Police suspect there may be a link between the two murders.
evidence for a strong causal link between exposure to sun and skin cancer
—see also missing link
2.
link (between A and B) | link (with sth) a relationship between two or more people, countries or organizations :
to establish trade links with Asia
Social customs provide a vital link between generations.
3.
a means of travelling or communicating between two places :
a high-speed rail link
a link road
a video link
The speech was broadcast via a satellite link .
4.
( computing ) a place in an electronic document that is connected to another electronic document or to another part of the same document :
To visit similar websites to this one, click on the links at the bottom of the page.
—see also hotlink
5.
each ring of a chain
—see also cufflink
•
IDIOMS
- a link in the chain
—more at weak
■ verb [ vn ] [ often passive ] link A to / with B | link A and B (together)
1.
to make a physical or electronic connection between one object, machine, place, etc. and another
SYN connect :
The video cameras are linked to a powerful computer.
The Channel Tunnel links Britain with the rest of Europe.
When computers are networked, they are linked together so that information can be transferred between them.
2.
if sth links two things, facts or situations, or they are linked , they are connected in some way :
Exposure to ultraviolet light is closely linked to skin cancer.
The two factors are directly linked .
The personal and social development of the child are inextricably linked (= they depend on each other) .
3.
to state that there is a connection or relationship between two things or people
SYN associate :
Detectives have linked the break-in to a similar crime in the area last year.
Newspapers have linked his name with the singer.
4.
to join two things by putting one through the other :
The two girls linked arms as they strolled down the street.
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- link up (with sb/sth)
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (denoting a loop; also as a verb in the sense connect physically ): from Old Norse hlekkr , of Germanic origin; related to German Gelenk joint.