qilin
noun/ˈtʃiːlɪn/ · /ˈkiːlɪn/
Etymology From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 麒麟 (qílín). Doublet of kirin.
1
A mythical Chinese hooved chimerical creature, said to appear in conjunction with the arrival of a sage.
- ...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:
- 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:
1 more example
- When the qilin leaves, the emperor traces the shapes he saw into the dirt.2010, Molly Blaisdell, Necdet Yilmaz, Truth about Unicorns: