# unicorn

/ˈjunɪˌkɔɹn/ (US) · /jˈuːnɪkˌɔːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unicorn
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. mythical creature

noun · CEFR B1

a legendary animal that looks like a white horse with a single long horn on its head.

For teachers: a legendary creature typically depicted as a horse with a single, spiralled horn projecting from its forehead.

- The children loved reading stories about brave knights and magical unicorns.
- Medieval tapestries often depicted the unicorn as a symbol of purity and grace, trapped within a small wooden fence.

### 2. business valuation

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic · Technical

a private startup company that is worth more than one billion dollars.

For teachers: a privately held startup company with a current valuation of one billion US dollars or more.

- The app became a unicorn just two years after it was launched.
- Investors are increasingly cautious about pouring capital into potential unicorns that lack a clear path to profitability despite their high valuations.

### 3. rare person or thing

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a person or thing that is very rare and difficult to find.

For teachers: a person or thing that is exceptionally rare, highly desirable, and difficult to encounter in a specific context.

- A reliable mechanic who charges fair prices is a total unicorn.
- Finding a candidate with both deep technical expertise and high-level management experience proved to be a search for a true unicorn.

### 5. multicoloured

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

having many bright or pastel colours, like a rainbow.

For teachers: characterised by a vibrant, multicoloured, or pastel aesthetic, often associated with fantasy themes.

- She dyed her hair a unicorn mix of pink, purple, and blue.
- The bakery specialised in unicorn cakes decorated with iridescent glitter and multi-hued frosting.

### 6. to reach high valuation

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical · Informal

to reach a business value of over one billion dollars.

For teachers: to achieve a valuation exceeding one billion dollars as a privately held company.

- The fintech startup is expected to unicorn by the end of the fiscal year.
- Few companies manage to unicorn within their first eighteen months of operation without significant venture capital backing.

## Examples

- The child drew a unicorn with a rainbow mane.
- The tech unicorn raised another round of funding last week.
- Investors chased the unicorn status, often overlooking the fact that high valuations do not guarantee future profitability or sustainable growth.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.