Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

chase pointers
     
        1. To go through multiple levels of indirection, as in
        traversing a linked list or graph structure.  Used especially
        by programmers in {C}, where explicit pointers are a very
        common data type.
     
        See {dangling pointer} and {snap}.
     
        2. (Cambridge) "pointer chase" or "pointer hunt": The process
        of going through a {core dump}, interactively or on a large
        piece of paper printed with {hex} {runes}, following dynamic
        data-structures.  Used only in {debugging}.
     
        [{Jargon File}]
     
        (1995-05-11)