barnacle

noun

bar·​na·​cle ˈbär-ni-kəl 

1

: barnacle goose

2

[from a popular belief that the goose grew from the crustacean] : any of numerous marine crustaceans (subclass Cirripedia) with feathery appendages for gathering food that are free-swimming as larvae but permanently fixed (as to rocks, boat hulls, or whales) as adults

barnacled

ˈbär-ni-kəld 

adjective

Illustration of barnacle

• 1 peduncle
• 2 cirri

Examples of barnacle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tender and delicious, gooseneck barnacles are expensive. —Jessica Kelly, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Aug. 2024

The barnacle manipulates the host’s behavior and physiology but doesn’t serve as a direct functional substitute for the reproductive organs. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024

Gooseneck barnacles earned their English name for two reasons. —Jessica Kelly, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Aug. 2024

Shark skin, too, is covered with dermal denticles—tiny teeth, which keep away the barnacles that plague whales. —Katherine Rundell, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English barnakille, alteration of bernake, bernekke

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing barnacle

• barnacle goose

Kids Definition

barnacle

noun

bar·​na·​cle ˈbär-ni-kəl 

: any of numerous small saltwater crustaceans with feathery outgrowths for gathering food that are free-swimming as larvae but as adults are permanently fastened (as to rocks or the bottoms of ships)

barnacled

-kəld 

adjective