unicorn Meaning, Definition & Usage

U"ni*corn noun

Etymology

OE. unicorne, F. unicorne, L. unicornis one-horned, having a single horn; unus one + cornu a horn; cf. L. unicornuus a unicorn. See One, and Horn.

Definitions

1. A fabulous animal with one horn; the monoceros; -- often represented in heraldry as a supporter.
2. A two-horned animal of some unknown kind, so called in the Authorized Version of the Scriptures.

   Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? Job xxxix. 10.

   ✍ The unicorn mentioned in the Scripture was probably the urus. See the Note under Reem.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) Any large beetle having a hornlike prominence on the head or prothorax. (b) The larva of a unicorn moth.
4. (Zoöl.) The kamichi; -- called also unicorn bird.
5. (Mil.) A howitzer. Obs.