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

See Examples For:

unicorn unicorns

Lithuania's first unicorn, second-hand clothing platform Vinted, has had a similar impact.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

Since then, the Indian government says more than 400 space start-ups have been set up in India, but Skyroot remains the most successful of them - and the only unicorn in the sector.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Dragon girls are basically a modern version of the unicorn girl, or the horse girl.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

A Philippine fintech unicorn backed by Ant International is planning to file an initial public offering prospectus as early as this month, aiming to raise more than $1 billion, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

The unicorn waited until Tristran and the star were comfortable upon its back, and then, slowly and easily, it began to put on speed.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

The deal carries serious implications for venture firms that hold shares in software unicorns, likely at elevated marks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

And Callum Beattie's performance of the Scotland football anthem Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - featuring silver unicorns and dancing Barrowland-style stars - put a smile on everyone's face.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Meanwhile, as capital and investor attention are focused on AI and a handful of companies, experts say, non-AI companies and older unicorns — startups valued at more than $1 billion — face difficulty raising funds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Even more striking than the population growth of unicorns has been their swelling sizes, which has set off a portmantavalanche of hideous new classifications.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

But he had seen unicorns and felt the cool of their horn against his palm.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell