Main Entry:

chi·me·ra

Pronunciation:

\kī-ˈmir-ə, kə-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Latin chimaera, from Greek chimaira she-goat, chimera; akin to Old Norse gymbr yearling ewe, Greek cheimōn winter — more at hibernate

1 acapitalized : a fire-breathing she-monster in Greek mythology having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail b: an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts2: an illusion or fabrication of the mind ; especially : an unrealizable dream <a fancy, a chimera in my brain, troubles me in my prayer — John Donne>3: an individual, organ, or part consisting of tissues of diverse genetic constitution