ENGLISH
REFERENCE

unicorn

n. · adj. · v.
US //ˈjunɪˌkɔɹn// UK //jˈuːnɪkˌɔːn// uni·corn
  1. 1 mythical creature (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

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

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

    Example

    The children loved reading stories about brave knights and magical unicorns.

    Example

    Medieval tapestries often depicted the unicorn as a symbol of purity and grace, trapped within a small wooden fence.

  2. 2 business valuation (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Technical Computing

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

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

    Example

    The app became a unicorn just two years after it was launched.

    Example

    Investors are increasingly cautious about pouring capital into potential unicorns that lack a clear path to profitability despite their high valuations.

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  1. 3 rare person or thing (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

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

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

    Example

    A reliable mechanic who charges fair prices is a total unicorn.

    Example

    Finding a candidate with both deep technical expertise and high-level management experience proved to be a search for a true unicorn.
  2. 4 multicoloured (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    having many bright or pastel colours, like a rainbow.

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

    Example

    She dyed her hair a unicorn mix of pink, purple, and blue.

    Example

    The bakery specialised in unicorn cakes decorated with iridescent glitter and multi-hued frosting.
  3. 5 to reach high valuation (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Informal Computing

    to reach a business value of over one billion dollars.

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

    Example

    The fintech startup is expected to unicorn by the end of the fiscal year.

    Example

    Few companies manage to unicorn within their first eighteen months of operation without significant venture capital backing.

Origin

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.

Idioms3 entries

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