What does "unicorn" mean?
A mythical horse, widely believed to exist until the 17th century, with a single, straight, spiraled horn projecting from its forehead.
Unicorn
/ˈjuː.nɪ.kɔːn/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A mythical horse, widely believed to exist until the 17th century, with a single, straight, spiraled horn projecting from its forehead.
- Grammar: unicorn is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: achievement, alerion, animal charge, annulet.
- Useful contrasts: common thing, everyday object, ordinary horse.
- Usage evidence: The English love the unicorn as much as they love the lion.
How to use "unicorn"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "unicorn" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "unicorn" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "unicorn" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "unicorn" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "unicorn" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "achievement" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "unicorn", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A mythical horse, widely believed to exist until the 17th century, with a single, straight, spiraled horn projecting from its forehead.
"[Seb.] A liuing Drolerie: now I will beleeue / That there are Vnicornes:[…]"
- 2 an imaginary creature represented as a white horse with a long horn growing from its forehead wordnet
- 3 In various Bible translations, used to render the Latin unicornis or rhinoceros (representing Hebrew רְאֵם): a reem or wild ox.
"God brought him forth out of Egypt, he hath as it were the ſtrength of an Vnicorne: he ſhall eate vp the nations his enemies, and ſhall breake their bones, and pierce them thorow with his arrowes."
- 4 Any large beetle having a horn-like prominence on the head or prothorax, especially the Hercules beetle, Dynastes tityus.
- 5 A caterpillar, Schizura unicornis, with a large thorn-like spine on the back near its head.
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 The kamichi, or unicorn bird.
- 7 A howitzer.
"The Sixth Inniskilling Dragoons and the First Battalion Royal Scots will be in attendance, and there will be unicorns, carricks, pursuivants, heralds, mace-bearers, ushers, and pages, together with the Purse-bearer, and the Lyon King-of-Arms, and the national anthem, and the royal salute"
- 8 Someone or something that is rare and hard to find.
"On Capitol Hill, Mr. Manchin is something of a unicorn — the only national Democrat from his ruby-red state — and acts and votes accordingly."
- 9 Someone or something that is rare and hard to find.; A single, usually bisexual woman who participates in swinging or polyamory. slang
- 10 Someone or something that is rare and hard to find.; A person with multidisciplinary expertise, especially a laundry list of three or more skills in a young field such as UX design or data science (e.g., domain knowledge, statistics, and software engineering).
"But I also think, “They’re looking for a unicorn — a magical designer who can solve all their problems.” It’s too bad unicorns don’t exist. … I have never met a designer who is an expert in all those skill areas. … Even if you find a unicorn designer with all those skills, actually doing all those things at your company is a huge amount of work."
- 11 Someone or something that is rare and hard to find.; A startup company whose valuation has exceeded one billion U.S. dollars, which is solely backed by venture capitalists, and which has yet to have an IPO.
"As the price of Web hosting plummeted and PCs and cell phones proliferated, college and grad-school dropouts like Mark Zuckerberg or Larry Page and Sergey Brin could suddenly conjure unicorns on their laptops."
- 12 Someone or something that is rare and hard to find.; A fan with serious aspirations to become romantically involved with a VTuber (i.e., the streamer behind the avatar).
- 13 Being many (especially pastel) colours; multicoloured. attributive
"unicorn smoothies"
- 14 A 15th-century Scottish gold coin worth 18 shillings, bearing the image of a unicorn. historical
- 15 Certain animals:; A Siberian unicorn, †Elasmotherium sibiricum.
- 16 Certain animals:; An Asian unicorn, or saola, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis.
Verb
- 1 To participate in a sexual threesome as a bisexual addition to an established heterosexual couple. slang
"Katja*, 27, has unicorned on two separate occasions."
- 2 To exceed a valuation of one billion U.S. dollars, while solely backed by venture capitalists.
"Since Waze, Soluto and Onavo, both Israeli startups, have had great exits in consumer tech, and Wix “unicorned” through its IPO."
Adjective
- 1 Having one horn. not-comparable
- 2 Rare and hard to find. not-comparable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
common thingeveryday objectordinary horseordinary item
Example
"The English love the unicorn as much as they love the lion."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "unicorn"?
Common synonyms include: achievement, alerion, animal charge, annulet, argent, argus.
How do you use "unicorn" in a sentence?
The English love the unicorn as much as they love the lion.
How do you pronounce "unicorn"?
Pronounced /ˈjuː.nɪ.kɔːn/.
Etymology
From Middle English unicorne, unikorn, from Anglo-Norman unicorne, Old French unicorne, and their source, Latin ūnicornis, from ūnus (“one”) + cornū (“horn”). Other senses from either rarity (e.g., possessing multiple skills) or by physical resemblance to having a horn (e.g., howitzer). The finance sense was coined by American investor Aileen Lee and first used in a 2013 article.