unicorn

(noun)

A mythical beast traditionally represented as having the legs of a buck, the body of a horse, the tail of a lion, and a single spiral horn on its head; a symbol of virginity.

Related Terms

Examples of unicorn in the following topics:

  • Flemish Textiles of the Northern Renaissance

    • Among the most famous of Flemish tapestries is The Hunt of the Unicorn, often referred to as the Unicorn Tapestries.
    • The tapestries show a group of noblemen and hunters in pursuit of a unicorn.
    • One tapestry, The Mystic Capture of the Unicorn, survives only in two fragments.
    • The unicorn has long been identified as a symbol of Christ by Christian writers, allowing the traditionally pagan symbolism of the unicorn to become acceptable within religious doctrine.
    • The second of the seven tapestries, often called The Unicorn is Found.