キリン

noun

giraffe

Standard modern word for the animal; almost always written in katakana.

• 動どう物ぶつ園えんでキリンを見みた。

  I saw a giraffe at the zoo.

noun

qilin; Chinese unicorn

Mythical auspicious creature in Chinese and Japanese legend; often depicted with dragon-like features. The kanji 麒麟 is typical for this sense.

• 麒き麟りんは伝でん説せつ上じょうの生いき物もので、平へい和わの象しょう徴ちょうとされる。

  The qilin is a legendary creature and is considered a symbol of peace.

noun

swift horse (archaic)

Only when written 騏驎

Archaic meaning: a horse that can travel 1000 ri in a day. Restricted to the rare kanji form 騏驎.

• 古こ書しょに「騏き驎りん」とあり、一いち日にちに千せん里りを走はしる馬うまを指さす。

  In old texts, 騏驎 refers to a horse that runs a thousand ri in a day.