chimera
or chi·mae·ra
[ ki-meer-uh, kahy- ]
/ kɪˈmɪər ə, kaɪ- /
noun, plural chi·me·ras.
(often initial capital letter)
a mythological, fire-breathing monster, commonly represented with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.
any similarly grotesque monster having disparate parts, especially as depicted in decorative art.
a horrible or unreal creature of the imagination; a vain or idle fancy: He is far different from the chimera your fears have made of him.
Genetics.
an organism composed of two or more genetically distinct tissues, as an organism that is partly male and partly female, or an artificially produced individual having tissues of several species.
Origin of chimera
1350–1400; Middle English
chimera < Latin
chimaera < Greek
chímaira she-goat; akin to Old Norse
gymbr, English
gimmer ewe-lamb one year (i.e., one winter) old, Latin
hiems winter (see
hiemal), Greek
cheimṓn winter
Words nearby chimera
chimborazo,
chimbote,
chime,
chime hoop,
chime in,
chimera,
chimere,
chimeric,
chimerical,
chimichanga,
chimichurri
Example sentences from the Web for chimera
British Dictionary definitions for chimera
chimera
chimaera
/ (kaɪˈmɪərə, kɪ-) /
noun
(often capital) Greek myth
a fire-breathing monster with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a serpent
a fabulous beast made up of parts taken from various animals
a wild and unrealistic dream or notion
biology
an organism, esp a cultivated plant, consisting of at least two genetically different kinds of tissue as a result of mutation, grafting, etc
Word Origin for chimera
C16: from Latin
chimaera, from Greek
khimaira she-goat, from
khimaros he-goat
Medical definitions for chimera
chimera
[ kī-mîr′ə, kĭ- ]
n.
One who has received a transplant of genetically and immunologically different tissue.
Twins with two immunologically different types of red blood cells.
Cultural definitions for chimera
chimera
[ (keye-meer-uh, ki-meer-uh) ]
A monster in classical mythology who had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a dragon or serpent.
notes for chimera
Figuratively, a “chimera” is a creation of the imagination, especially a wild creation.