Citizendia

Architectural otter chimera
Architectural otter chimera

Used in describing an architectural feature, chimera means a fantastic, mythical or grotesque figure used for decorative purposes. Chimera are often described as gargoyles. In Architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone Grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building Used correctly, the term gargoyle refers to mostly eerie figures carved specifically as terminations to spouts which convey water away from the sides of buildings.

See also

In Greek mythology, the Chimera ( Greek (Chímaira Latin Chimaera) was a monstrous creature of Lycia in Asia Minor In Architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone Grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org