unicorn
The origin and history of unicorn.
Etymology
From Latin unicornis, literally "one-horned" (unus, "one" + cornu, "horn"). The billion-dollar-startup meaning was coined by venture capitalist Aileen Lee in 2013 to describe how rare such companies were.
Class of 2013
unicorn first entered the language around 2013. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 2013 →