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ETYMOLOGY DICTIONARY:
- late 14c., from O.Fr. chimere or directly from M.L. chimera, from L. Chimaera, from Gk. khimaira, a fabulous monster (with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail), supposedly personification of snow or winter; originally "year-old she-goat," from kheima "winter season" (see hibernation). Meaning "wild fantasy" in English first recorded 1580s (attested 13c. in French).
Beestis clepid chymeres, that han a part of ech beest, and suche ben not, no but oonly in opynyoun. [Wyclif, "Prologue"]
- Related: Chimeric; chimerical.
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