n. [ 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. ] 1. A fabulous animal with one horn; the monoceros; -- often represented in heraldry as a supporter. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A two-horned animal of some unknown kind, so called in the Authorized Version of the Scriptures. [ 1913 Webster ] Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? Job xxxix. 10. [ 1913 Webster ] ☞ The unicorn mentioned in the Scripture was probably the urus. See the Note under Reem. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. (Zool.) (a) Any large beetle having a hornlike prominence on the head or prothorax. (b) The larva of a unicorn moth. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. (Zool.) The kamichi; -- called also unicorn bird. [ 1913 Webster ] 5. (Mil.) A howitzer. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
Fossil unicorn, or
Fossil unicorn's horn (Med.), a substance formerly of great repute in medicine; -- named from having been supposed to be the bone or the horn of the unicorn. --
Unicorn fish,
Unicorn whale (Zool.), the narwhal. --
Unicorn moth (Zool.), a notodontian moth (Coelodasys unicornis) whose caterpillar has a prominent horn on its back; -- called also unicorn prominent. --
Unicorn root (Bot.), a name of two North American plants, the yellow-flowered colicroot (Aletris farinosa) and the blazing star (Chamaelirium luteum). Both are used in medicine. --
Unicorn shell (Zool.), any one of several species of marine gastropods having a prominent spine on the lip of the shell. Most of them belong to the genera Monoceros and Leucozonia. [ 1913 Webster ]
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