Forms: 4 chymere, 5–7 chimere; 4–7 chymera, (6 chemera), 7 chymæra, 6– chimæra, chimera. [ME. chimere, a. F. chimère, ad. L. chimæra, a. Gr. χίμαιρα she-goat or monster, f. χίμαρ-ος he-goat. Since the 16th c. the earlier form from Fr. has been supplanted by its Latin original.]
1. A fabled fire-breathing monster of Greek mythology, with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail (or according to others with the heads of a lion, a goat, and a serpent), killed by Bellerophon.
1382. Wyclif, Bible, Prol. 31. Beestis clepid chymeres, that han a part of ech beest, and suche ben not, no but oonly in opynyoun.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, I. lv. The Chimere of Licy.
a. 1528. Skelton, P. Sparowe, 1334. By Chemeras flames.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, VIII. xviii. New Chimeres, Sphinges, or like monsters bred.
1613. Heywood, Silver Age, I. i. Wks. 1874, III. 89. That monstrous beast of Cicily, Cal’d the Chimera.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 628. All monstrous, all prodigious things … worse Then fables yet have feign’d, or fear conceiv’d, Gorgons and Hydra’s, and Chimera’s dire.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic., lxiv. A convocation of chimeras breathing fire and smoke.
1831. Landor, Siege Ancona, Wks. 1846, II. 584. The flames and coilings of the fell Chimæra.
2. In Painting, Arch., etc. A grotesque monster, formed of the parts of various animals.
[1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIX. xxxvii. (1495), 879. Somtyme they … bryngyth to lesynges as he dooth that paynteth Chymera with thre heedes.]
1634. Jackson, Creed, VII. xi. Chimeras, or painted devices which represent no visible creature.
1636. B. Jonson, Discov., Wks. 1640, 113. He complaines of their painting Chimæra’s, by the vulgar unaptly called Grottesque.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 83, ¶ 7. The third Artist … had an excellent Hand at a Chimera.
1876. Humphrey, Coin-coll. Man., vi. 66. The Chimæra enriching the helmet is the monster Scylla.
3. fig. with reference to the terrible character, the unreality, or the incongruous composition of the fabled monster: a. A horrible and fear-inspiring phantasm, a bogy.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (1847), 72. Against the Chimer here stoutly must he fight.
1601. Cornwallyes, Ess., xvii. Chimeræs, begotten betweene Feare, and Darknesse, which vanish with the Light.
1730. Thomson, Autumn, 1145. Full of pale Fancies, and Chimeras huge.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. v. 429. The nation … exorcised the chimæra with a few resolute words for ever.
b. An unreal creature of the imagination, a mere wild fancy; an unfounded conception. (The ordinary modern use.) See also BOMBINATE.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxv. 379. How could that Chymera haue come in any mans minde?
c. 1645. Howell, Lett., I. I. iv. That golden myne is proved a meer Chymera, an imaginary airy myne.
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull, II. iii. Exploded Chimera’s, the perpetum Mobile,… Philosopher’s Stone, [etc.].
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 18. The sea-snake, or serpent of the ocean, is no longer counted a chimera.
1835. Sir J. Ross, N.-W. Pass., xv. 237. The ‘chimera of a north-west passage,’ as it has been termed.
c. An incongruous union or medley.
1832. G. Downes, Lett. Cont. Countries, I. 27. The exterior of the Church … is a chimera in architecture, being Doric below, Corinthian above, and Ionic in the middle.
4. attrib. and Comb.
1619. Bp. J. Williams, Serm. Apparell (1620), 20. For a woman … to come vnto a Church Chimæra-like … halfe male and halfe female.
1761. Frances Sheridan, Sidney Bidulph, III. 138. Our sex, said he, have not such chimæra notions.
Hence Chimeraship nonce-wd.
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr. (1858), 170. His serene Chimeraship.
