Most people hear the word “unicorn” and think of a mythical white horse with a golden horn in the center of its forehead. However, as a form of internet slang, the word “unicorn” has a much different meaning. Here you will discover this meaning and the origin of the term provided there is information about its beginnings.
You will also find other meanings of the term and see the slang term used in some example conversations to help you better understand the meaning. Finally, you will see some suggested words or phrases that you may be able to use as a replacement for the word “unicorn” in its slang form.
Unicorn Meaning
What Does Unicorn Mean?
On the internet, the slang term “unicorn” is defined as someone or something that is rare and holds a high value in your life.
Origin of Unicorn
The term “unicorn” has existed as a part of the world since the time of the Bible. Although not mentioned specifically by the name unicorn, there is a creature described in the Bible as being bigger than a donkey and having one horn in the center of its forehead. The horse-like creature is referred to on numerous occasions in Greek mythology and the unicorn became the official symbol of Scotland.
Eventually in art, the unicorn became synonymous with rainbows and has been adopted by the LGBTQ community as a symbol of pride, beauty, and magic often seen alongside the rainbow flag at pride parades and celebrations. The horse-like creature is considered a rare animal and was eventually just used over time to describe anything rare.
Other Meanings
In 2013, the term “unicorn” was used to describe $1 billion start-up businesses because they were so rare due to the state of the economy. Although still described as recently as 2017 as “unicorns,” these companies are not as rare. Within the LGBTQ community, the word “unicorn” has also been used to describe a bi-sexual woman who sleeps with a couple consisting of a heterosexual man and a bi-sexual woman.
Sometimes when mentioned in this sense, the woman is represented with a unicorn emoji rather than using the actual word. Speaking of the unicorn emoji, the word and the emoji is used to represent the Unicode also. Finally, someone waiting for some sort of magical solution to a problem is said to be waiting for a “unicorn solution.”
Example Conversations
A text message conversation between two friends:
- Friend 1: I think that Michael might ask me to marry him tonight!
- Friend 2: And what will you say if he does?
- Friend 1: I will say yes! He is my unicorn!
An online conversation between two Facebook users:
- User 1: If you are lucky enough to find your unicorn, make sure to hold onto him/her.
- User 2: What on earth are you talking about? You can’t hold onto a unicorn. They aren’t even real!
- User 1: It’s a metaphor. It means if you are lucky enough to find your soulmate because rarely people do, then hold onto them and never let them go!
- User 2: Oh okay! That makes more sense to me now!
Alternatives to “Unicorn”
There are several different words that you could use in place of the word “unicorn” in the slang sense of the meaning stated above. Some of the words or phrases you could use instead include:
- something rare
- something magical
- something one-of-a-kind
Unicorn Meaning Infographic
Last Updated on March 23, 2020
Excuse me but it actually means a 3year old child
It’s a new term for my vocabulary. Never knew. Thanks for helping me understand it. I was lost.