1. something that is hoped for but is illusory or impossible to achieve
2. a fire-breathing monster in Greek mythology with a lion’s head, goat’s body, and serpent’s tail
Usage: mythology
3. an organism containing a mixture of genetically different tissues
Usage: biology

Examples

• The promise of easy wealth turned out to be a chimera.
• His dream of becoming a professional athlete was just a chimera.
• The ancient Greeks told stories of heroes battling the chimera.
• In mythology, the chimera terrorized the countryside until it was slain.
• Scientists created a chimera by combining cells from two different species.
• The research involved studying chimeras to understand genetic development.
• What seemed like a perfect solution was merely a chimera.