chimaera

1 of 2
chi·​mae·​ra kī-ˈmir-ə How to pronounce chimaera (audio)
kə-

chiefly British spelling of chimera

chimaera

2 of 2

noun

: any of a family (Chimaeridae) of marine cartilaginous fishes with a tapering or threadlike tail and usually no anal fin

Examples of chimaera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The release stated that today, a third of sharks, rays and chimaeras are vulnerable to extinction. — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026 This could mean setting up spatial closures or using dynamic management that moves fishing effort away from areas and times where sharks, rays, and chimaeras are most at risk. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2026 Another discovery was a new chimaera — a type of animal related to sharks and rays, which have cartilaginous rather than bony skeletons. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2026 Another discovery was a new chimaera — also known as a ghost shark or rat fish — a type of animal related to sharks and rays, which have cartilaginous rather than bony skeletons. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chimaera

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin, genus name, from Latin, chimera

First Known Use

Noun

1804, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chimaera was in 1804

Rhymes for chimaera

See All Rhymes for chimaera

Browse Nearby Words

chilver
chimaera
Chimaerae
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chimaera.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chimaera. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on chimaera

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chimaera

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All