What does chimere mean?
A chimere is a loose, sleeveless outer vestment worn by bishops, most characteristically those of the Anglican Communion, though similar garments appear in other traditions. It is worn over the rochet, a white linen tunic, and functions much as a formal academic gown does in university life. In everyday use the chimere is black, but on solemn or festive occasions — such as ordinations — bishops may don a scarlet version. Because the word belongs to the specialised vocabulary of liturgy, it appears mainly in church contexts: descriptions of services, portraits and biographies of clergy, and guides to vestments. Its name looks deceptively like 'chimera', the mythical monster, but the two words are unrelated in meaning, and etymologists have never settled where 'chimere' actually comes from. For anyone reading about church history or attending an episcopal service, knowing the term helps decode the visual language of clerical dress.
nounA chimere is a loose sleeveless vestment worn by Anglican and some other bishops over the rochet, typically black in ordinary use and scarlet on festive occasions.
- A loose sleeveless ecclesiastical vestment, usually black or scarlet, worn by bishops over the rochet.
"The bishop processed into the cathedral wearing a scarlet chimere over his white rochet."
"At the enthronement, the new bishop exchanged his black chimere for one of deep scarlet."
"The portrait shows the seventeenth-century prelate robed in rochet and chimere, staff in hand."
The plural follows the regular English pattern and appears when referring to multiple bishops' vestments or to collections of historic garments.
"The museum's textile collection includes several ornate chimeres from the eighteenth century."
It sounds like the mythical 'chimera', but a chimere is something you can actually touch — it's the bishop's everyday gown, and its true origin remains a mystery to etymologists.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chimere
The origin of 'chimere' is genuinely obscure: major dictionaries record it only as being of unknown or uncertain derivation, first appearing in English in the sixteenth century. Various suggestions link it to medieval Latin or Romance words for cloaks or fur-trimmed garments, but none has won general acceptance, so any specific ancestral language should be treated as conjecture. Despite its resemblance to 'chimera', there is no established connection between the two words.
How chimere is actually used
The word is confined almost entirely to ecclesiastical and liturgical contexts; outside discussions of clerical dress it is rare. The colour of the chimere varies with the season or occasion — black for everyday wear, scarlet for festivals such as ordinations.
Easily confused with chimere
A chimera is a mythical fire-breathing monster (or an illusory dream), whereas a chimere is a real garment worn by bishops.