qilin en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈkiːlɪn/
- /ˈtʃiːlɪn/
- chē′lĭn′
Etymology
From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 麒麟 (qílín). Doublet of kirin.
Meanings
-
A mythical Chinese hooved chimerical creature, said to appear in conjunction with the arrival of a sage.
When the qilin leaves, the emperor traces the shapes he saw into the dirt.
2010, Molly Blaisdell, Necdet Yilmaz, Truth about Unicorns:Roundel depicting dragon attacked by qilins; mounted on an album page.
2001, David J. Roxburgh, Prefacing the image: the writing of art history in sixteenth-century Iran:...a red and gold textile with phoenixes in one row swooping towards qilins in the next amidst a densely foliated ground...
1989, Ernst J. Grube, Eleanor G. Sims, Islamic Art: Volume 3:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| kylin | alternative | lexicographic | |
| kilin | alternative | lexicographic | |
| qilins | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (14)
ru цили́нь (mythical creature) · fi qilin (mythical creature) · ko 기린 (mythical creature) · de Qilin (mythical creature) · nan-hbl 麒麟 (mythical creature) · wuu 麒麟 (mythical creature) · fr qilin (mythical creature) · cmn 麒麟 (mythical creature) · ja 麒麟 (mythical creature) · th กิเลน (mythical creature) · vi kỳ lân (mythical creature) · cdo 麒麟 (mythical creature) · vi kì lân (mythical creature) · yue 麒麟 (mythical creature)