chimera

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Anything composed of very disparate parts.

   He built his car one piece at a time, producing a chimera with the head of a Volkswagen, the body of a Geely, and the tail of an aftermarket Porsche.

2. 2
   noun

   An organism with genetically distinct cells originating from two or more zygotes.

   The DNA test returned a false negative because the killer was a chimera, having absorbed her twin in utero.

3. 3
   noun

   Synonym of bogeyman: any terrifying thing, especially as an unreal, imagined threat.

   How could that Chymera haue come in any mannes mynd?

Simplified etymology

Chimera came through French and Latin from Greek khimaira, which could mean either “she-goat” or “monster.” It originally named the mythical composite, fire-breathing creature, while the figurative sense “wild fantasy” dates from the late 16th century.

Variant of Middle English chimere, chymere, & chymera under renewed Latin influence from the 16th century, from French chimère, from Latin Chimaera, from Ancient Greek Χίμαιρα (Khímaira, “fire-breathing mythological monster, fire-spewing Lycian or Cilician mountain”), from χίμαιρα (khímaira, “she-goat”, from χίμαρος (khímaros, “male goat”) + -α (-a)), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰey-. In reference to the fish, directly from Latin Chimaera, used by Linnaeus. In reference to organisms with distinct areas of different genetic makeups, a calque of German Chimäre, used by Hans Winkler in 1907.

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