catena

Etymology

From Medieval Latin catena, from Latin catēna (“chain”). Doublet of chain.

noun

1. A series of related items.
   And, on the contrary, there is a whole catena of authorities, beginning with Sir Robert Peel and ending with Mr. Lowe, which say that the Banking Department of the Bank of England is only a Bank like any other bank … 1873, Walter Bagehot, Lombard Street
2. (soil science) A series of distinct soils arrayed along a slope.
   The changes in soil characteristics from the crest to the foot of a slope are together known as a catena. 2000, Ewan Anderson, Middle East: Geography and Geopolitics, Routledge, page 55