Definitions for unicorn
ˈyu nɪˌkɔrnuni·corn

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. unicornnoun

   an imaginary creature represented as a white horse with a long horn growing from its forehead

WiktionaryRate this definition:2.5 / 2 votes

1. unicornnoun

   A mythical beast traditionally represented as having the legs of a buck, the body of a horse, the tail of a lion with a single spiral horn on its head; a symbol of virginity.

2. unicornnoun

   A heraldic representation of such a beast used as a charge or as a supporter; as in the arms of Great Britain and of Scotland.

3. unicornnoun

   In various Bible translations, used to render the Latin unicornis or rhinoceros (representing Hebrew u05E8u05D0u05DD); a reem or wild ox.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Unicornnoun

   Etymology: unicornis, unus and cornu, Lat.

   1. A beast, whether real or fabulous, that has only one horn.

   Wert thou the unicorn, pride and wrath would confound thee. William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens.

   Unicorns may be betray’d with trees,
   Bears with glasses, men with flatterers. William Shakespeare.

   Nature in cornigerous animals hath placed the horns inverted upwards, as in the rhinoceros, Indian ass, and unicorn beetles. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

   It is not of consequence, that because Dioscorides hath made no mention of unicorns horn, there is therefore no such thing in nature. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

   Some unicorns we will allow even among insects, as those nasicornous beetles described by Muffetus. Brown.

   Will the fierce unicorn thy voice obey,
   Stand at the crib, and feed upon the hay? George Sandys.

   2. A bird.

   Of the unicorn bird, the principal marks are these; headed and footed like the dunghill cock, tailed like a goose, horned on his forehead, with some likeness, as the unicorn is pictured; spur’d on his wings, bigger than a swan. Nehemiah Grew.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Unicorn

   The Unicorn is a song by Shel Silverstein that was made very popular by The Irish Rovers in 1968. It remains one of the best-known songs in the Irish Rovers' long career. It sold 8 million copies worldwide and reached #2 in the US Adult Contemporary Chart, #7 in the U. S. Hot 100, #4 in Canada, and #5 in Ireland. It can still be heard regularly in Irish Pubs. The lyrics to the song also appear, printed as a poem, in Shel Silverstein's book Where the Sidewalk Ends. In the original version of the song, The Irish Rovers speak half of the lyrics, as well as the part of the 4th Chorus. The final line of the 5th verse is spoken freely without the music: "And that's why you'll never see a Unicorn to this very day". On the remakes most of the song is sung, again except for the final line, which is spoken freely without the music. Shel Silverstein's own version was released in 1962 on his album Inside Folk Songs (Atlantic 8072). His songbook, "Dirty Feet" (TRO/Hollis Music, 1969), includes a discography saying that, along with The Irish Rovers and Silverstein's versions, "The Unicorn" had been recorded by Bill Anderson (Decca), Shay Duffin (RCA), Robert Goulet (Columbia), Bob Turner (ABC), and "Uncle Bill" (Dot). (The record "Uncle Bill Socks It To Ya" was by Burt Wilson, imitating W. C. Fields)

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. unicorn

   A unicorn is a mythological creature typically depicted as a horse, or a creature similar in shape to a horse, with a single horn protruding from its forehead. Throughout various cultures and ages, unicorns have been perceived differently, with most considering them as symbols of purity, grace, magic and often associated with fantasies or fairy tales. In modern interpretations, unicorns are often portrayed as creatures of vibrant colors and sparkles. The term 'unicorn' is also used metaphorically to represent rarity and uniqueness in different fields such as business and finance.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Unicornnoun

   a fabulous animal with one horn; the monoceros; -- often represented in heraldry as a supporter

2. Unicornnoun

   a two-horned animal of some unknown kind, so called in the Authorized Version of the Scriptures

3. Unicornnoun

   any large beetle having a hornlike prominence on the head or prothorax

4. Unicornnoun

   the larva of a unicorn moth

5. Unicornnoun

   the kamichi; -- called also unicorn bird

6. Unicornnoun

   a howitzer

WikidataRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

1. Unicorn

   The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard and cloven hooves. First mentioned by the ancient Greeks, it became the most important imaginary animal of the Middle Ages and Renaissance when it was commonly described as an extremely wild woodland creature, a symbol of purity and grace, which could only be captured by a virgin. In the encyclopedias its horn was said to have the power to render poisoned water potable and to heal sickness.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. Unicorn

   ū′ni-korn, n. a fabulous animal mentioned by ancient Greek and Roman authors as a native of India, with a body like that of a horse and one straight horn on the forehead: (B.) an unfortunate translation of the Hebrew reêm, Assyr. rímu, anticipated by the monokerōs of the Septuagint—variously understood as the rhinoceros, the urus, the wild ox, ox-antelope. [L. unus, one, cornu, a horn.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Unicorn

   a fabulous animal like a horse, with a cubit and a half long horn on the forehead; was adopted by James I. as the symbol of Scotland on the royal arms; is in Christian art a symbol of the incarnation, and an emblem of female chastity.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. unicorn

   The old name for the howitzer, as improved from the licorn, borrowed from the Turks during the last century by the Russians, and from the latter by Europe generally.

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. unicorn

   (Lat. unum cornu, “one horn”). An animal, probably fabulous, mentioned by ancient Grecian and Roman authors as a native of India, and described as being of the size of a horse, or larger, the body resembling that of a horse, and with one horn of a cubit and a half or two cubits long on the forehead, the horn straight, its base white, the middle black, the tip red. The body of the animal was also said to be white, its head red, its eyes blue. It was said to be so swift that no horse could overtake it. The unicorn is perhaps best known as a heraldic charge or supporter. Two unicorns were borne as supporters of the Scottish royal arms for about a century before the union of the crowns; and the sinister supporter of the insignia of the United Kingdom is a unicorn argent, armed crined, and unguled or, gorged with a coronet composed of crosses patée and fleurs-de-lis, with a chain affixed, passing between the fore legs, and reflexed over the back, of the last.

2. unicorn

   The old name for the howitzer, as improved from the licorn, borrowed from the Turks during the last century by the Russians, and from the latter by Europe generally.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. unicorn

   The unicorn symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the unicorn symbol and its characteristic.

2. unicorn

   Song lyrics by unicorn -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by unicorn on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Imaginary Being

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce unicorn?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say unicorn in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of unicorn in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of unicorn in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of unicorn in a Sentence

1. Melissa Leggio:

   Abigail was able to ride in a carriage, meet and pet two unicorns, feed carrots to a unicorn and have pictures taken with the unicorns.

2. Mark Wietecha:

   I think the idea that kids are pretty much healthy and fine is a unicorn.

3. Darren Huston:

   Everything goes through a lifecycle. The real question is what’s the sustainable business model for these companies. A real business is up to the cash flow you make, and if there’s no model at the end of the day, things will fall out. A lot of ideas do come through that [unicorn] space, but eventually, every one of these companies has to grow up.” Darren Huston on the fate of ridesharing “unicorns” Uber and Blablacar.

4. Benny Hill:

   Never play leapfrog with a unicorn.

5. Taron Egerton:

   That movie is a unicorn, our movie is a different animal.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=unicorn
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Unicorn
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=unicorn
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unicorn
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=unicorn
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=unicorn
9. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Unicorn
10. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
    https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=unicorn
11. ^ Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
    https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/59563/pg59563-images.html
12. ^ Usage in printed sources
    https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=unicorn