Illustration of barnacle
- 1 peduncle
- 2 cirri
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 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web This, then, is the final possible response, one likely to prove common in this century: barnacle-like inaction, enabled by a strong dose of denial. 
Taras Grescoe, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2022 Just weeks after the Celebrity Eclipse resumed service in April, barnacle growth on the ship prompted the cancellation of an Alaskan voyage leaving from Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 22, a spokeswoman for the cruise line confirmed. Jacob Passy, WSJ, 24 May 2022 The devices aren’t foolproof: college students in Oklahoma removed a barnacle by turning on the car defroster for 15 minutes. John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Sep. 2021 Applied to the hull of a ship, these synthetic feathers, like their natural counterparts, would trap air, reducing drag and discouraging barnacle growth. Ashley Stimpson, Popular Mechanics, 30 Aug. 2021 In comparison, the barnacle glue formed a bond that was eight times tougher. Max G. Levy, Wired, 24 Aug. 2021 That law is the 1886 Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA), a close cousin of the Jones Act, another barnacle on maritime trade and services. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 5 July 2021 Last season, Slate’s dependably rich podcast series brought listeners to Louisiana in the ’80s and ’90s, where season host Josh Levin traced the rise of the former Klansman David Duke as a political phenomenon and culture-war barnacle. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2021 And Pollicipes polymerus may not be the only species of barnacle that does it. Daniel Cressey, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2013 See More
Taras Grescoe, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2022 Just weeks after the Celebrity Eclipse resumed service in April, barnacle growth on the ship prompted the cancellation of an Alaskan voyage leaving from Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 22, a spokeswoman for the cruise line confirmed. Jacob Passy, WSJ, 24 May 2022 The devices aren’t foolproof: college students in Oklahoma removed a barnacle by turning on the car defroster for 15 minutes. John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Sep. 2021 Applied to the hull of a ship, these synthetic feathers, like their natural counterparts, would trap air, reducing drag and discouraging barnacle growth. Ashley Stimpson, Popular Mechanics, 30 Aug. 2021 In comparison, the barnacle glue formed a bond that was eight times tougher. Max G. Levy, Wired, 24 Aug. 2021 That law is the 1886 Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA), a close cousin of the Jones Act, another barnacle on maritime trade and services. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 5 July 2021 Last season, Slate’s dependably rich podcast series brought listeners to Louisiana in the ’80s and ’90s, where season host Josh Levin traced the rise of the former Klansman David Duke as a political phenomenon and culture-war barnacle. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2021 And Pollicipes polymerus may not be the only species of barnacle that does it. Daniel Cressey, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2013 See More 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
Kids Definition
barnacle
noun
bar·na·cle ˈbär-ni-kəl
: a small saltwater crustacean that becomes permanently attached (as to rocks or the bottoms of boats) as an adult