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?

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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