chimera

/kaɪˈmɪrə/
noun
  1. An impossible or foolish hope, dream, or idea; something that is very unlikely to exist or happen.
    • The idea of a perfect society with no conflict is a chimera that has never been achieved.
    • He chased the chimera of instant fame, only to end up disappointed.
    • Many scientists believe that a perpetual motion machine is a chimera.
  2. In Greek mythology, a monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail, that breathes fire.
    • In the ancient story, the hero Bellerophon was sent to kill the Chimera.
    • Mosaics from ancient Greece often depict the Chimera with flames shooting from its mouth.
    • The Chimera terrorized the land of Lycia until it was defeated.
  3. In biology, an organism that contains cells from two or more different individuals or species.
    • Some plants are natural chimeras, with different colored patches on their leaves.
    • Scientists study chimeras to understand how different tissues develop.
    • A lab-created chimera might have cells from both a sheep and a goat.
Antonyms
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