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unicorn

noun
/ˈjuː.nɪ.kɔːn/UK/ˈju.nɪ.kɔɹn/US

Etymology

From Middle English unicorne, unikorn, from Anglo-Norman unicorne, Old French unicorne, and their source, Latin ūnicornis, from ūnus (“one”) + cornū (“horn”). Displaced native Old English ānhorn, itself a calque. 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.

  1. derived from ūnicornis
  2. derived from unicorne
  3. derived from unicorne
  4. inherited from unicorne

Definitions

  1. A mythical horse, widely believed to exist until the 17th century, with a single,…

    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:[…]
    • The unicorn who may be touched and tamed only by a chaste virgin is a lunar symbol of the ancient religion of Europe.

  2. In various Bible translations, used to render the Latin unicornis or rhinoceros…

    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.

  3. Certain animals

    Certain animals:

  4. ›+ 8 more definitions

    1. A howitzer.

    2. 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.

    3. Being many (especially pastel) colours

      Being many (especially pastel) colours; multicoloured.

      • unicorn smoothies

    4. A 15th-century Scottish gold coin worth 18 shillings, bearing the image of a unicorn.

    5. To participate in a sexual threesome as a bisexual addition to an established…

      To participate in a sexual threesome as a bisexual addition to an established heterosexual couple.

      • Katja*, 27, has unicorned on two separate occasions.
      • “In Annie’s unicorning, she’s really able to try out other people’s relationships and see how they function from within,” Gillespie tells me.
      • “Everyone wants the party, but nobody likes to plan,” explains Vixen Vu, a cam model who has been unicorning since she became sexually active.

    6. To exceed a valuation of one billion U.S. dollars, while solely backed by venture…

      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.
      • For instance, at the same time as Intercom was announcing its unicorning moment, a young Dublin tech company called Let's Get Checked (letsgetchecked.com) raised €10m in a funding round.

    7. Having one horn.

    8. Rare and hard to find.

The neighborhood

Derived

Asian unicorn, bunnicorn, bunnycorn, Chinese unicorn, half-unicorn, Invisible Pink Unicorn, pegacorn, rainbows and unicorns, rainbow unicorns, sea unicorn, Siberian unicorn, unicorn bait, unicorn barf, unicorn beast, unicorn hunter, unicorn hunting, unicornic, unicornlike, unicorn plant, unicorn puke, unicorn root, unicorn vomit, unicornity

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for unicorn. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA