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 legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years or so been depicted as a white horse-like or goat-like animal with a long straight horn with spiralling grooves, cloven hooves, and sometimes a goat's beard. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it was commonly described as an extremely wild woodland creature, a symbol of purity and grace, which could be captured only by a virgin. In encyclopedias, its horn was described as having the power to render poisoned water potable and to heal sickness. In medieval and Renaissance times, the tusk of the narwhal was sometimes sold as a unicorn horn. A bovine type of unicorn is thought by some scholars to have been depicted in seals of the Bronze Age Indus Valley civilization, the interpretation remaining controversial. An equine form of the unicorn was mentioned by the ancient Greeks in accounts of natural history by various writers, including Ctesias, Strabo, Pliny the Younger, Aelian, and Cosmas Indicopleustes. The Bible also describes an animal, the re'em, which some translations render as unicorn.The unicorn continues to hold a place in popular culture. It is often used as a symbol of fantasy or rarity.

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

FreebaseRate 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

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. Dennis Tajer:

   For now we want to get our safety experts in these unicorn simulators to show us what the software fix does, when it comes to safely issues, it has to be a full-course meal, nothing a la carte.

2. Chris Bulger:

   The IPO buyers have very healthy skepticism about unicorn valuations.

3. Benny Hill:

   Never play leapfrog with a unicorn.

4. Mary Figueras:

   I think a lot of people have gotten very tired of the rhetoric and the promises and the pie in the sky, unicorn flying over the rainbow.

5. Taron Egerton:

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

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