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barnacle goose in British English
noun
1.
a N European goose, Branta leucopsis, that has a black-and-white head and body and grey wings
2. a former name for brent goose
Word origin
C13 bernekke, related to Late Latin bernaca, from the belief that the goose developed from a shellfish; ultimate origin obscurebarnacle goose in American English
a European wild goose (Branta leucopsis)
Word origin
from the popular notion that it grew from the barnacleImage ofbarnacle goose
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