unicorn

[ yoo-ni-kawrn ]

/ ˈyu nɪˌkɔrn /

noun

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

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.

(initial capital letter) Genetics. the constellation Monoceros.

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

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

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

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Fend Off Sciolism With This Word Of The Day Quiz

Are you the Cinderella of this week’s quiz? Test your memory on the words and definitions from March 23–29.

Question 1 of 7

schlep

to say or do hesitantly or awkwardly

to fold or wind around something

to carry; lug

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Origin of unicorn

1175–1225; Middle English unicorne (< Old French) < Latin ūnicornis one-horned, equivalent to uni- uni- + corn(ū) horn + -is adj. suffix

Words nearby unicorn

unicellular gland, unicellulate, unicode, unicolor, unicolour, unicorn, unicorn plant, unicorn uterus, unicornous, unicostate, unicuspid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for unicorn

The victory in 1950 over England is precious, but in the way a unicorn might be: to be regarded wide-eyed, and scarcely believed.
Stars and Stripes 2, Black Stars 1: Team USA Takes a Win From Ghana|Tunku Varadarajan|June 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps the name “unicorn” tells you how common it is for women to swing with couples.
My Night at the NSFW Oscars|Richard Abowitz|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dan worked hard and made a good picture: mountains, timber, blue sky…and in the foreground a blond girl and a unicorn.
The Ballad of Johnny France|Richard Ben Cramer|January 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Have you ever been to the Musee Cluny to see the Lady with the Unicorn tapestries?
How I Write: Tracy Chevalier|Noah Charney|November 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

I was at the beach in Los Angeles this summer when I saw a unicorn.
R.I.P. Blockbuster, You Frustratingly Magical Franchise, You|Kevin Fallon|November 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The unicorn squealed in fury and struck the hunter, catching him on its horn and hurling him thirty feet.
Space Prison|Tom Godwin
Unicorn is a sachem; he must give an example to his young men on the warpath.
The Trail-Hunter|Gustave Aimard
The horn of the unicorn was popularly regarded as the most marvellous of remedies.
Primitive Psycho-Therapy and Quackery|Robert Means Lawrence
The sale of the Unicorn, prudently managed, had brought about seven hundred thousand livres.
A Romance of the West Indies|Eugne Sue
It would leap like an unicorn, wouldn't it, if he played those beautiful things which he just played?
Hildegarde's Home|Laura E. Richards

British Dictionary definitions for unicorn

unicorn

/ (ˈjuːnɪˌkɔːn) /

noun

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

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

Word Origin for unicorn

C13: from Old French unicorne, from Latin ūnicornis one-horned, from ūnus one + cornu a horn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for unicorn

unicorn

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.