Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

chimera

/kaɪˈmɪɹə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.85 in modern English

Syllables
chi-me-ra
IPA
/kaɪˈmɪɹə/
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Alternative letter-case form of Chimera, a supposed monster in Lycia with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a dragon or serpent, killed by the hero Bellerophon.

noun

A grotesque like a gargoyle, but without a spout for rainwater.

noun

An organism with genetically distinct cells originating from two or more zygotes.

noun

Alternative form of chimaera, a cartilaginous marine fish in the subclass Holocephali and especially the order Chimaeriformes, with a blunt snout, long tail, and a spine before the first dorsal fin.

Example Sentences

Etymology

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.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /kaɪˈmɪɹə/
  • British English: /kaɪˈmɪəɹə/

Inflected Forms

chimeras (plural) chimaera (alternative, archaic) chimæra (alternative, archaic) chimere (alternative, obsolete) chymera (alternative, obsolete) chemera (alternative, obsolete) chymæra (alternative, obsolete) Chimaera (alternative)

Derived Forms

Phrases

the name of one of the ships of Æneas tetragametic chimera

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce chimera?
The recorded pronunciation is /kaɪˈmɪɹə/.
What does chimera mean?
Alternative letter-case form of Chimera, a supposed monster in Lycia with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a dragon or serpent, killed by the hero Bellerophon.
Where does chimera come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce chimera

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “chimera”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kaɪˈmɪɹə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “chimera”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “chimera” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.