unicorn
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a legendary animal that looks like a white horse with a single long horn on its head.
n.a legendary creature typically depicted as a horse with a single, spiralled horn projecting from its forehead.
Simple“The children loved reading stories about brave knights and magical unicorns.”
In context“Medieval tapestries often depicted the unicorn as a symbol of purity and grace, trapped within a small wooden fence.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a private startup company that is worth more than one billion dollars.
n.a privately held startup company with a current valuation of one billion US dollars or more.
Simple“The app became a unicorn just two years after it was launched.”
In context“Investors are increasingly cautious about pouring capital into potential unicorns that lack a clear path to profitability despite their high valuations.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a person or thing that is very rare and difficult to find.
n.a person or thing that is exceptionally rare, highly desirable, and difficult to encounter in a specific context.
Simple“A reliable mechanic who charges fair prices is a total unicorn.”
In context“Finding a candidate with both deep technical expertise and high-level management experience proved to be a search for a true unicorn.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having many bright or pastel colours, like a rainbow.
adj.characterised by a vibrant, multicoloured, or pastel aesthetic, often associated with fantasy themes.
Simple“She dyed her hair a unicorn mix of pink, purple, and blue.”
In context“The bakery specialised in unicorn cakes decorated with iridescent glitter and multi-hued frosting.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
v.to reach a business value of over one billion dollars.
v.to achieve a valuation exceeding one billion dollars as a privately held company.
Simple“The fintech startup is expected to unicorn by the end of the fiscal year.”
In context“Few companies manage to unicorn within their first eighteen months of operation without significant venture capital backing.”
“Iris’s dad can turn into dinosaurs, unicorns, anything she imagines – though some people see Dad’s wheelchair and believe he can’t do anything.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.