unicorn

American  

[yoo-ni-kawrn] / ˈju nɪˌkɔrn /

noun

unicorns plural

1. a mythical creature resembling a horse, with a single horn in the center of its forehead: often symbolic of chastity or purity.

2. a heraldic representation of this animal, in the form of a horse with a lion's tail and with a long, straight, and spirally twisted horn.

3. Astronomy. Unicorn, the constellation Monoceros.

4. an animal mentioned in the Bible, Deuteronomy 33:17: now believed by some to be a description of a wild ox or rhinoceros.

5. a former gold coin of Scotland, first issued by James III in 1486, having an obverse bearing the figure of a unicorn.

6. Business. a relatively new company, usually less than ten years old, that is valued at $1 billion or more by public or private investors.

7. a person or thing that is rare and highly valued, or is a hypothetical ideal: Finding jeans that are comfortable and fashionable—that’s my unicorn.

   Hiring unicorns is expensive, but their productivity can take your enterprise to the next level.

   Finding jeans that are comfortable and fashionable—that’s my unicorn.

8. Slang. a bisexual woman who joins an established heterosexual couple in a sexual encounter or relationship.

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idioms

1. chase a / the unicorn, to pursue an unattainable object or impossible goal, especially when diverting effort or resources away from an existing commitment or practical plan.

unicorn British  

/ ˈjuːnɪˌkɔːn /

noun

1. an imaginary creature usually depicted as a white horse with one long spiralled horn growing from its forehead

2. Old Testament a two-horned animal, thought to be either the rhinoceros or the aurochs (Deuteronomy 33:17): mistranslation in the Authorized Version of the original Hebrew

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unicorn Cultural  

1. A mythical animal resembling a small horse but with a long, straight horn growing out of its forehead. Often it was described as having the legs of a deer and the tail of a lion. Some sources claim it was visible only to virgins.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• unicorns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of unicorn

First recorded in 1200–1250; Middle English, from Old French unicorne, from the Latin adjective ūnicornis “one-horned” (used as a noun in the Vulgate and possibly referring to the rhinoceros), a loan translation from the Greek noun and adjective monókerōs, equivalent to uni- “one” + corn(ū) “horn” + -is adjective suffix; see uni-, horn

Explanation

A unicorn is a mythical horse-like creature which has one horn on its forehead. During the Middle Ages, a unicorn horn was said to have magical healing properties. Unicorns show up in many cultures' traditions of folklore and mythology, reaching as far back as Bronze Age civilizations and ancient Greece. Usually, unicorns are presented in art and stories as looking just like horses — or sometimes goats — aside from their long, spiraling horn. The root of the word unicorn is the Latin adjective unicornis, "having one horn," from uni, or "one," and cornus, "horn."

Example Sentences

When athletes arrive at this summer's Commonwealth Games in the city, they will be greeted by mascot Finnie, a unicorn with a cone on its head.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026

No pet dragons, though — just a baby unicorn, representing the fantasy mascot ruling many of that era’s pre-teen accessory drawers.

From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026

I eventually found my elusive unicorn planner, and it’s perfectly fine that he is not someone I spend a great deal of personal time with.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

PitchBook reports that External link “the global unicorn universe hit 1,680 companies with an $8.6 trillion aggregate valuation in Q1 2026, but the top 10 by valuation…hold 41.3% of that value.”

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

Christopher swung down from the unicorn and stretched out his arms to help Mal and Gelifen.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell