Lewis & Short

cătēna, ae, f. (once with num. distrib. as piur. tantum: trinis catenis vinctus, Caes. B. G. 1, 53) [Sanscr. kat, to fall away; cf. catax].

  1. I. A wooden bracket, brace, etc., for holding two beams together, Cato, R. R. 18, 9; Vitr. 7, 3; Pall. 1, 3, 1.
  2. II. A chain,
    1. A. Used as a fetter, shackle, etc.; usu. in plur. (syn. vincula): catenis vincire aliquem, Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 3; Ov. M. 15, 601 al.: catenas indere alicui, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 3: in catenas conicere aliquem, Caes. B. G. 1, 47; Liv. 29, 21, 2: catenas inicere alicui, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 41, § 106: in catenis aliquem Romam mittere, Liv. 29, 21, 12: in catenis aliquem per urbem ducere, id. 45, 40, 6: eximere se ex catenis, Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 8: rumpere catenas, Hor. S. 2, 7, 71: catenas alicui exsolvere, Tac. H. 3, 31 al.
      In sing., Liv. 24, 34, 10; Cat. 64, 297; Verg. A. 6, 558; Hor. S. 1, 5, 65; Curt. 4, 3, 22; 7, 5, 36; Tac. A. 4, 28; 6, 14; Suet. Aug. 94; Sen. Ep. 9, 8; Plin. 34, 15, 43, § 150.
      1. 2. Of a chain stopping the entrance of a harbor: catena ferrea valde robusta, Amm. 26, 8, 8.
      2. 3. Trop., a constraint, fetter, barrier, bond: taetra belua, constricta legum sacratarum catenis, Cic. Sest. 7, 16: compesce animum frenis, catenā, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 63: validā teneamur catenā, Tib. 4, 5, 15; 4, 1, 117: splendidiore nunc eos catenā sed multo graviore vinctos esse, quam cum, etc., Liv. 35, 38, 10: qui ad superiora progressus est.. laxam catenam trahit nondum liber, Sen. Vit. Beat. 16, 3; id. Tranq. 10, 3.
    2. B. A chain of gold or silver worn by women as an ornament, Plin. 33, 3, 12, § 40; Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 84.
    3. C. A series of things connected together, a chain, series, Lucr. 6, 910 (but id. 2, 630, is a false reading for quod armis; v. Lachm.).
    4. D. Trop.: (praecepta oratoria) in catenas ligare, Quint. 5, 14, 32.