noun
Uncommon
unicorn
YOO-nih-kawn
Unicorn (noun) means a mythical horse-like creature with a single horn growing from its forehead. Example: “The children's book was full of unicorns and rainbows.”
noun
1
A mythical horse-like creature with a single horn growing from its forehead.
"The children's book was full of unicorns and rainbows."
"She had a unicorn poster on her bedroom wall as a kid."
2
A privately held startup company valued at over one billion dollars.
"The ride-sharing app became a unicorn within three years of launching."
"Investors are always hunting for the next tech unicorn."
3
Someone or something so rare that it's almost impossible to find.
"A landlord who fixes things fast is a real unicorn."
"Finding a candidate with all those skills is like chasing a unicorn."
How to use unicorn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the legendary one-horned horse, or — much more common in everyday talk now — a startup worth over a billion dollars, or anything wonderfully rare.
Common pairings
tech unicorn
a true unicorn
unicorn startup
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Word forms
- Plural
- unicorns
- Third person singular
- unicorns
- Past tense
- unicorned
Fill the gap
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The children's book was full of _____ and rainbows.
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.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for unicorn
See all rhymes for unicorn →Frequently asked questions
What does “unicorn” mean?
The word “unicorn” means a mythical horse-like creature with a single horn growing from its forehead. In plain terms, either the legendary one-horned horse, or — much more common in everyday talk now — a startup worth over a billion dollars, or anything wonderfully rare.
How do you pronounce “unicorn”?
“Unicorn” is pronounced YOO-nih-kawn (/ˈju.nɪ.kɔɹn/ in IPA).
How do you use “unicorn” in a sentence?
Here is “unicorn” used in a sentence: “The children's book was full of unicorns and rainbows.”
What part of speech is “unicorn”?
“Unicorn” is a noun.
Where does the word “unicorn” come from?
The word “unicorn” dates back to around 2013 and comes from Latin. 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.
Is “unicorn” a common word?
“Unicorn” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “unicorn” have?
“Unicorn” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a mythical horse-like creature with a single horn growing from its forehead.
Why is a billion-dollar startup called a unicorn?
A startup is called a unicorn because reaching a private valuation of over one billion dollars used to be so rare it was compared to the mythical creature. The term highlights how uncommon such high valuations were among private companies.
What is the difference between a unicorn and a decacorn?
A unicorn is a privately held startup valued at over one billion dollars, while a decacorn is a rarer subset valued at over ten billion dollars. Decacorn extends the unicorn concept to describe an even higher tier of valuation.
Why do people call something a unicorn when it isn't a startup?
Outside business contexts, unicorn is used informally to describe a person, item, or situation so rare it seems almost impossible to find, such as 'finding a job with that salary and those hours is a unicorn.' This usage plays on the mythical creature's reputation for being fantastical and hard to spot.
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