chimera
/kaɪˈmɪərə/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
χίμαιρα — she-goat
Overview
Meaning Now
- A fire-breathing female monster in Greek mythology, usually depicted as a hybrid of a lion, goat, and serpent.
- A thing that is hoped or wished for but is illusory or impossible to achieve.
Literal older meaning
she-goat
Language path
Ancient Greek → Latin → English
Earliest form
Χίμαιρα
Earliest period
8th century BCE
Journey
In Greek mythology, the Chimera was the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. It ravaged the land of Lycia until it was slain by the hero Bellerophon, who rode the winged horse Pegasus. The term came to represent any impossible or illusory ambition due to the creature's disparate and contradictory parts.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek (8th century BCE)
Χίμαιρα
“she-goat; a mythological hybrid monster”
- Latin (Classical era)
chimaera
“a legendary monster”
Borrowed directly from Greek into Latin.
- Middle English (14th century)
chimere
“a monster; a fancy or idle notion”
Introduced via Old French.
- Modern English (16th century to present)
chimera
“a grotesque product of the imagination”
Standardized spelling based on Latin.
Connections
Word parts
chimera
root
mythological beast
Related across languages
French
chimère
chimera/pipe dream
Italian
chimera/unreal expectation
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Related to chimera
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.