From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishRelated topics: Animals, Water, Biologybarnaclebar‧na‧cle /ˈbɑːnəkəl $ ˈbɑːr-/ noun [countable]HBATTWa small sea animal with a hard shell that sticks firmly to rocks and the bottom of boatsExamples from the Corpusbarnacle• Keep an eye open and you may spot a barnaclegoose or a Bewick's swan.• The sea had worn little ruts in the wood and barnacles were clinging to it everywhere.• EvolutionaryMorphology Darwin himself had done extensive morphological work in a detailed study of barnacles during the 1850s.• This will be difficult to carry out on barnacles, but comparatively easy for mussels, limpets or other snails.• The block of leafybranches, roots, mud, and piggybackingbarnacles was boxed and hauled ashore.• This is the trade-offnecessary to get permission to scrape off the barnacles.• The ends of the boards were crusted with barnacles.Originbarnacle(1500-1600)barnacle type of goose ((12-21 centuries)), from Medieval Latinbernaca; from the former belief that the goose was born from a barnacle
