n.
Pronunciation: k ī - ' mir- ə , k ə -
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin chimaera, from Greek chimaira she-goat, chimera; akin to Old Norse gymbr yearling ewe, Greek cheim ō n winter ― more at HIBERNATE
1 a capitalized : 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 parts
2 : 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