chimera

or chi·mae·ra

[ kahy-meer-uh ]

noun

, plural chi·me·ras.

1. Often Chimera. Greek Mythology. a fire-breathing monster, commonly represented with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.
2. any grotesque monster having disparate parts, as depicted or described in art, legend, fantasy fiction, video games, etc.
3. a strange, horrible, or impossible idea or figment of the imagination:

   He is far different from the chimera your fears have made of him.

   Without equality, unity is a chimera.

   Synonyms: delusion, fantasy, dream

4. anything created by taking parts or aspects of different kinds of things and combining them:

   We are like an audio-art chimera, in that we act as part literary journal, part music showcase, and part storytelling podcast.

5. Genetics. an organism composed of two or more genetically distinct tissues, such as one produced artificially by combining cells or tissues from different species:

   Chimeras were generated by splicing West Nile and Zika viruses into the genetic backbone of two different insect-specific viruses.

adjective

1. being or relating to a chimera or chimeras:

   The chimera embryos used in this research are sheep embryos containing human cells.

chimera

/ kɪ-; kaɪˈmɪərə /

noun

1. often capital Greek myth a fire-breathing monster with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a serpent
2. a fabulous beast made up of parts taken from various animals
3. a wild and unrealistic dream or notion
4. biology an organism, esp a cultivated plant, consisting of at least two genetically different kinds of tissue as a result of mutation, grafting, etc

chimera

1. 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

Figuratively, a “chimera” is a creation of the imagination, especially a wild creation.

Other Words From

• chi·mer·ic chi·maer·ic adjective
• chi·mer·ism chi·maer·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of chimera¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English chimera, from Latin chimaera, from Greek chímaira “she-goat,” from chímaros “he-goat,” perhaps originally “animal one winter old”; akin to Old Norse gymbr, English gimmer “ewe-lamb one year (i.e., one winter) old,” Latin hiems “winter” ( hiemal ), Greek cheîma “winter cold” ( isocheim )

Word History and Origins

Origin of chimera¹

C16: from Latin chimaera, from Greek khimaira she-goat, from khimaros he-goat

Example Sentences

Some consider my 2015 paper in this light, although after consultation with the NIH and the journal, we purposely did not provide the genetic sequence of the chimera in the original publication.

From MIT Technology Review

The resulting chimera would demonstrate whether the spike of SHC014 would attach to human cells.

From MIT Technology Review

For years, scientists have flirted with ethical boundaries by mixing human cells with those of rats and pigs, which are relatively far from us in evolutionary terms, to reduce the chance of a mentally “humanized” chimera.

From Singularity Hub 

While both review boards of those universities approved the consent and the study, it’s not clear if the consent included specific mention of the chimera research.

From Time

In a ground-breaking experiment, researchers have successfully created the first human-monkey chimera.

From Time

In the Iliad, a Chimera is a grotesque animal jumble, “lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle.”

From The Daily Beast

Of course, the happy chimera still holds as a liberal canonical truth.

From The Daily Beast

In the autumn 1944 issue of the journal Chimera: A Literary Quarterly, Barzun published “In Memoriam: R.H.P., 1907-1944.”

From The Daily Beast

After the war, Chimera was edited by poet Barbara Howes and Ximena de Angulo.

From The Daily Beast

The cinematic chimera was inspired by a traumatizing breakup suffered by Glodell.

From The Daily Beast

Was it for some grandiose, impossible chimera, that he had taken men from quiet useful lives and the simple round of kindliness?

From Project Gutenberg

"With all the ills the flesh is heir to," true health is a chimera, an existing state unknown to man.

From Project Gutenberg

The Chimera was a fire-breathing monster, with the head of a lion, the tail of a dragon, and the body of a goat.

From Project Gutenberg

This chimera was still dear to the hearts of scientific men.

From Project Gutenberg

And, if you would pursue this chimera, it is not in a democracy that you are likely to surprise it.

From Project Gutenberg