Definition of the word chimera

The word "chimera" has its roots in ancient Greek mythology. In Homer's "Iliad," the Chimera was a monstrous creature described as a lion-headed goat-bodied creature with a serpent's tail. It was said to haunt the city of Lycia and terrorize its people. The Greek word "chimaira" (χίμαιρα) is derived from the verb "chimao" (χίμαω), meaning "to have a goad" or "to brandish." This refers to the Chimera's most distinctive feature: a goat's head on a serpent's body, which was said to be capable of breathing fire. The term has since been used in various contexts to describe something that is fantastical, unreal, or impossible. In modern science, a chimera refers to an organism that contains cells or tissues from two or more different sources, often used in medical research.