Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Unicorn |
UnicornNoun1. An imaginary creature represented as a white horse with a long horn growing from its forehead. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "unicorn" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1594. (references) |
Etymology: Unicorn \U"ni*corn\, noun. [from Old English expression unicorne, French unicorne, from Latin expression unicornis one-horned, having single horn; unus one cornu horn; compare to Latin unicornuus unicorn. See One, and Horn.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Bible | Unicorn described as an animal of great ferocity and strength (Num. 23:22, R.V., "wild ox," marg., "ox-antelope;" 24:8; Isa. 34:7, R.V., "wild oxen"), and untamable (Job 39:9). It was in reality a two-horned animal; but the exact reference of the word so rendered (reem) is doubtful. Some have supposed it to be the buffalo; others, the white antelope, called by the Arabs rim. Most probably, however, the word denotes the Bos primigenius ("primitive ox"), which is now extinct all over the world. This was the auerochs of the Germans, and the urus described by Caesar (Gal. Bel., vi.28) as inhabiting the Hercynian forest. The word thus rendered has been found in an Assyrian inscription written over the wild ox or bison, which some also suppose to be the animal intended (comp. Deut. 33:17; Ps. 22:21; 29:6; 92:10). Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. |
Slang in 1811 | UNICORN. A coach drawn by three horses. Source: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Monoceros Abbreviation Mon Genitive Monocerotis Meaning in English the Unicorn Right ascension 7.15 h Declination -5.74° Visible to latitude Between 75° and -85° On meridian 9 p.m., February 20 Area
- TotalRanked 35th
482 sq. deg.No. of stars with
apparent magnitude < 30 Brightest star
- Apparent magnitudeα Monocerotis
3.93Meteor showers
- December Monocerids
- Alpha Monocerids
Bordering constellations
- Canis Major
- Canis Minor
- Gemini
- Hydra
- Lepus
- Orion
- Puppis
Monoceros is a faint constellation on the winter night sky, surrounded by Orion to the west, Gemini to the north, Canis Major to the south and Hydra to the east. Other bordering constellations includes Canis Minor, Lepus and Puppis.
Notable features
Monoceros is an almost invisible constellation, with only a few fourth magnitude stars. Alpha Monocerotis has a visual magnitude of 3.93, slightly brighter than Gamma Monocerotis, which has a visual magnitude of 3.98.
But Monoceros do have something interesting with the aid of a small telescope. Beta Monocerotis is an impressive triple star system, the three stars form a triangle which seems to be fixed. The visual magnitudes of the stars are 4.7, 5.2 and 6.1. William Herschel discovered it in 1781 and commented it as 'one of the most beautiful sights in the heavens'.
Epsilon Monocerotis is a fixed binary, with visual magnitudes of 4.5 and 6.5.
S Monocerotis, or 15 Monocerotis, is a bluish white variable star and is located at the center of NGC 2264. However the variation of its magnitude is not too great. It has a companion star of visual magnitude 8.
V838 Monocerotis had an outburst starting on January 6, 2002.
Notable deep sky objects
- M50, open cluster
- The Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237-9,46), diffuse nebula
- NGC 2244, open cluster
History
Monoceros is a modern constellation, generally supposed to be named by the Dutch astronomer and theologian Petrus Plancius in 1613 and have been charted by Jakob Bartsch as Unicornus in his star chart of 1624; but Wilhelm Olbers and Ludwig Ideler indicate the constellation is actually much older, with it appearing in works as early at 1564, and Joseph Scaliger is reported to have found it on an ancient Persian sphere.
Mythology
Since Monoceros is a modern constellation, it has no classical mythology associated to it. The unicorn is a mythical animal, which resembles a horse but bears a single, spiral horn on its forehead. Its horn is commonly believed to be able to cure poison. This animal is often a symbol of chastity and purity.
External Links
- http://www.dibonsmith.com/mon_con.htm
- http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/mon.html
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Monoceros."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The unicorn is a legendary creature shaped like a horse but with a single - usually spiral - horn growing out of its forehead. Some accounts describe it as having the body of a deer and the head of a lion.
The unicorn was a common symbol during the Indus Valley Civilisation, appearing on many seals. It may have symbolised a powerful group.
Ancient Greek accounts of unicorns locate their habitat in India. The unicorn did not appear in Greek mythology, but as an actual - albeit exotic - beast.
In medieval times, entrepreneurs would occasionally manufacture a unicorn by surgery on a goat kid: they would remove one horn bud and relocate the other to the centre of the forehead. (This technique continued to as recently as the 20th century, for circus displays.) Narwhal tusks, however, provided the main source of "unicorn" horns.
In popular belief, unicorn horns could neutralize poisons. Therefore, people who feared poisoning sometimes drank from goblets made of "unicorn horn". Alleged aphrodisiac qualities and other purported medicinal virtues also drove up the cost of "unicorn" products such as milk, hide and offal.
The unicorn also served as a common symbol of purity and of Jesus Christ. The traditional method of hunting unicorns involved entrapment by a virgin.
The unicorn also functions as a national symbol of Scotland and appears on many British symbols, notably as a supporter of coats of arms.
In fantasy fiction, a unicorn often has magical qualities or powers.
The constellation Monoceros represents a unicorn.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Unicorn."
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Unconformity | Phoenix, chimera, hydra, sphinx, minotaur; griffin, griffon; centaur; saggittary; kraken, wyvern, roc, dragon, sea serpent; mermaid, merman, merfolk; unicorn; Cyclops, "men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders"; teratology. |
Vehicle | Dogcart, trap, whitechapel, buggy, four-in-hand, unicorn, random, tandem; shandredhan, char-a-bancs. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Unicorn |
| English words defined with "unicorn": Fossil unicorn, Fossil unicorn's horn ♦ genus Martynia, genus Proboscidea ♦ Monoceros ♦ Proboscidea ♦ Unicorn moth. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "unicorn": Animals in Christian Art ♦ Lion and Unicorn ♦ Public-house Signs ♦ U'nicorn. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "unicorn": Unicornous. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | He drew a unicorn in space (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge) I speak over two thousand languages, including Dodo and Unicorn. (Doctor Dolittle; writing credit: Hugh Lofting; Leslie Bricusse) A brass unicorn has been catapulted across a London street and impaled an eminent surgeon (The Abominable Dr. Phibes; writing credit: James Whiton; William Goldstein) You pull me off my unicorn, you tear away my gossamer petticoats, and you put your 'Schooner' deep inside my 'Rebecca' (Sex and the City; writing credit: Mark Leiren-Young) A wise man never plays leapfrog with a Unicorn. (Banacek; writing credit: Michel André; Joseph Carole) | |
Lyrics | Sitting on a unicorn. (Flaming; performing artist: Pink Floyd) First born unicorn (Californication; performing artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers) | |
Movie/TV Titles | A Unicorn in the Garden (1953) The White Unicorn (1947) Voyage of the Unicorn (2001) The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999) Nico the Unicorn (1998) | |
Song Titles | The Unicorn (performing artist: The Irish Rovers) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books | |||
Periodicals |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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High Tech |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | 'Male Narwhal or Unicorn. Greenland Shark." In: "An account of the Arctic regions with a history and description of the northern whale-fishery", by W. Scoresby. 1820. P. 588, Vol. II. Plate XV. Library Call Number G742 .S42 1820 . Credit: Treasures of the Library. |  | The Unicorn Norwich coach / painted by Jas. Pollard ; engraved by Chas. Hunt. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Through the Looking-Glass | Carroll, Lewis | THE LION AND THE UNICORN. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Unicorn" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 92.00% of the time. "Unicorn" is used about 75 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 92% | 69 | 40,280 |
| Noun (proper) | 6.67% | 5 | 157,705 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 1.33% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 75 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "unicorn": common unicorn plant ♦ Fossil unicorn ♦ sea unicorn ♦ sweet unicorn plant ♦ unicorn bird ♦ unicorn fish ♦ unicorn moth ♦ unicorn prominent ♦ unicorn root ♦ unicorn shell ♦ unicorn whale. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "unicorn": unicorn-fish, Unicorn-kanchana. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
unicorn | 9,529 | the unicorn song | 37 |
the last unicorn | 1,022 | screensaver unicorn | 36 |
unicorn picture | 776 | graphic unicorn | 28 |
fantasy unicorn | 734 | animated unicorn | 27 |
fairy unicorn | 728 | unicorn horse | 27 |
unicorn art | 647 | last picture unicorn | 26 |
unicorn tattoo | 173 | false unicorn root | 26 |
unicorn pic | 160 | unicorn gallery | 25 |
unicorn wallpaper | 120 | unicorn clip art | 25 |
black unicorn | 84 | dvd last unicorn | 22 |
unicorn and pegasus | 83 | white unicorn | 22 |
dragon and unicorn | 79 | free unicorn picture | 22 |
coloring page unicorn | 61 | fantasy art unicorn | 21 |
unicorn image | 52 | unicorn tapestry | 20 |
mystical unicorn | 51 | unicorn poster | 20 |
unicorn background | 49 | fantasy picture unicorn | 20 |
clipart unicorn | 44 | unicorn book | 20 |
unicorn drawing | 42 | the last unicorn movie | 19 |
mark of the unicorn | 40 | desktop theme unicorn | 19 |
unicorn photo | 40 | unicorn screen saver | 18 |
unicorn darts | 18 | ||
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "unicorn"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | njëbrirësh, kafshë mitologjike me një bri. (various references) | |
Arabic | آحادي القرن حيوان خرافي. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | единорог, инорог. (various references) | |
Chinese | 麟 (female unicorn), ' (mythical unicorn). (various references) | |
Czech | jednorožec. (various references) | |
Danish | narhval (narwhale, unicorn whale). (various references) | |
Dutch | eenhoorn. (various references) | |
Esperanto | unukornulo. (various references) | |
Farsi | تکشاخ , جانورافسانه ای دارای یک شاخ . (various references) | |
Finnish | sarvivalas (narwhale, unicorn whale). (various references) | |
French | licorne. (various references) | |
Frisian | ienhoarn. (various references) | |
German | Einhorn. (various references) | |
Greek | μονόκερωσ (narwhal), μονόκεροσ. (various references) | |
Hebrew | בעל קרן אח". (various references) | |
Hungarian | egyszarvú. (various references) | |
Italian | unicorno, liocorno. (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | ユダヤ暦 (Jewish calendar, small prefabricated kitchen in an apartment, UNICEF, union, Union Jack, unique, unisex, unison, Unisys, unit, unit control, unit dress, unit load, unit pricing, unit stock control, unit system, unitard, united, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, Unix), 一'獣 . (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ユニコーン , いっかくじゅう. (various references) | |
Manx | un-eairkagh. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | icornunay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | unicórnio, grupo de três cavalos. (various references) | |
Romanian | inorog. (various references) | |
Russian | единорог. (various references) | |
Scottish | bubhall. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | jednorog. (various references) | |
Spanish | unicornio. (various references) | |
Swedish | enhörning. (various references) | |
Turkish | tek boynuzlu at. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | тройка, единоріг. (various references) | |
Vietnamese | unicorn-whale (sea-unicorn, unicorn-fish, unicorn-whale). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | monocerotes, monocerotis, monoceroton, unicornes, unicornis, unicornium, unicuique. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Numbers Chapter 23, Verse 22 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | QeoV o exagagwn autouV ex aiguptou wV doxa monokerwtoV autw |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Deus eduxit eum de Aegypto cuius fortitudo similis est rinocerotis |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | God that broughte them out of Egipte is as the strength of an vnycorne |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | It is God who has taken them out of Egypt; his horns are like those of the mountain ox. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Numbers Chapter 23, Verse 22 |
| Cebuano | Ang Dios maoy nagdala kanila gikan sa Egipto; Siya may kusog nga ingon sa vaca nga ihalas. |
| Croatian | Iz Egipta Bog ga je izveo, on je njemu k'o rozi bivola. |
| Danish | Gud førte det ud af Ægypten, det har en Vildokses Horn. |
| Dutch | God heeft hen uit Egypte uitgevoerd; zijn krachten zijn als van een eenhoorn. |
| Finnish | Jumala vei sen pois Egyptistä; sen sarvet ovat kuin villihärän. |
| French | Dieu les a fait sortir d`Égypte, Il est pour eux comme la vigueur du buffle. |
| German | Gott hat sie aus Ägypten geführt; seine Freudigkeit ist wie eines Einhorns. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Allah yang membawa mereka keluar dari Mesir; seperti banteng liar Ia bertempur bagi mereka. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Maka telah dihantar Allah akan mereka itu keluar dari Mesir, dan tempuhnya selaku seladang jantan. |
| Italian | Dio, che lo ha fatto uscire dall'Egitto, è per lui come le corna del bufalo. |
| Korean | 하 나 님 이 그 " 을 굽 에 서 인 도 하 여 내 셨 으 니 그 힘 이 " 소 와 같 도 다 |
| Maori | Na Ihowa ratou i whakaputa mai i Ihipa; kei te te unikanga tona kaha. |
| Norwegian | Gud førte dem ut av Egypten; styrke har de som en villokse. |
| Portuguese | É Deus que os vem tirando do Egito; as suas forças são como as do boi selvagem. |
| Rumanian | Dumnezeu i -a scos din Egipt, Tqria Lui este pentru el ca a bivolului. |
| Spanish | Dios, que lo ha sacado de Egipto, es para él como los cuernos de un toro salvaje. |
| Swedish | Det är Gud som har fört dem ut ur Egypten; deras styrka är såsom vildoxars. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "unicorn": unicorns. (additional references) | |
| |
"Unicorn" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Inficorp, Iniscarn, Nicorene, Runcorne, unscorn. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "unicorn" (pronounced yuw"nikô'rn) |
| 4 | -k ô' r n | popcorn. |
| 3 | -ô' r n | firstborn, airborne, bighorn, Buckthorn, bullhorn, Hartshorn, hawthorn, inborn, Longhorn, pronghorn, seaborne, shoehorn, shopworn, waterborne. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "c-i-n-n-o-r-u" | |
-1 letter: nuncio. | |
-2 letters: conin, cornu, curio, incur, inurn, orcin, runic, union. | |
-3 letters: cion, coin, coir, coni, conn, corn, curn, icon, inro, iron, noir, nori, noun, ruin, unci, unco, uric. | |
-4 letters: con, cor, cur, inn, ion, nor, nun, orc, our, rin, roc, run, urn. | |
-5 letters: in, no, nu, on, or, un. | |
| Words containing the letters "c-i-n-n-o-r-u" | |
+1 letter: neuronic, unicorns. | |
+2 letters: centurion, conjuring, continuer, frouncing, incursion, neutronic, trouncing, uncorking. | |
+3 letters: centurions, coenduring, coinsuring, concurring, conquering, construing, continuers, contouring, countering, counterion, enunciator, incursions, neurogenic, recounting, renouncing, scrounging, truncation, uncovering, uncrossing, uncrowning, unfrocking, unneurotic, unromantic. | |
+4 letters: annunciator, clangouring, coinsurance, configuring, conjuration, connoisseur, continuator, conurbation, cornhusking, cornucopian, counterions, countermine, countersign, countersink, crenulation, encouraging, enunciators, functionary, incongruent, incongruity, incongruous, incurvation, instruction, intercounty, internuncio, introducing, noncircular, nonculinary, nonreducing, nonsurgical, outscorning, pronouncing, truncations, unanchoring, unconfirmed, uncontrived. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Quotations: Fiction 8. Usage Frequency | 9. Expressions 10. Expressions: Internet 11. Translations: Modern 12. Translations: Ancient | 13. Bible Trace 14. Derivations 15. Rhymes 16. Anagrams | 17. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
