Definition of Barnacle

1. Noun. Marine crustaceans with feathery food-catching appendages; free-swimming as larvae; as adults form a hard shell and live attached to submerged surfaces.


2. Noun. European goose smaller than the brant; breeds in the far north.
Exact synonyms: Barnacle Goose, Branta Leucopsis
Generic synonyms: Goose
Group relationships: Branta, Genus Branta

Definition of Barnacle

1. n. Any cirriped crustacean adhering to rocks, floating timber, ships, etc., esp. (a) the sessile species (genus Balanus and allies), and (b) the stalked or goose barnacles (genus Lepas and allies). See Cirripedia, and Goose barnacle.

2. n. A bernicle goose.

3. n. An instrument for pinching a horse's nose, and thus restraining him.

Definition of Barnacle

1. Noun. A marine crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia that attaches itself to submerged surfaces such as tidal rocks or the bottoms of ships. ¹

2. Noun. The barnacle goose. ¹

3. Noun. (context: engineering slang) In electrical engineering, a change made to a product on the manufacturing floor that was not part of the original product design. ¹

4. Noun. (context: computing slang) On printed circuit boards, a change such as soldering a wire in order to connect two points, or addition such as an added resistor or capacitor, subassembly or daughterboard. ¹

5. Noun. (obsolete) An instrument like a pair of pincers, to fix on the nose of a vicious horse while shoeing so as to make it more tractable. ¹

6. Noun. (archaic British) A nickname for spectacles. ¹

7. Noun. (slang obsolete) A good job, or snack easily obtained. ¹

8. Verb. To connect with or attach. ¹

9. Verb. To press close against something. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Barnacle

1. a shellfish [n -S] - See also: shellfish

Medical Definition of Barnacle

1. 1. Any cirriped marine crustacean free swimming in the larval state, but permanently fixed as adults, adhering to rocks, floating timber, ships, etc. There are some 800 described species, grouped in several genera, including lepas, balanus, scalpellum, and the stalked or goose barnacles (genus Lepas and allies). 2. Barnacle eater, a bark louse (Ceroplastes cirripediformis) of the orange and quince trees in Florida. The female scale curiously resembles a sessile barnacle in form. 3. An instrument for pinching a horse's nose, and thus restraining him. 4. Spectacles; so called from their resemblance to the barnacles used by farriers. Origin: Prob. From E. Barnacle a kind of goose, which was popularly supposed to grow from this shellfish. Source: Websters Dictionary (03 Jul 1999)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Barnacle

barn burner
barn burners
barn dance
barn door
barn doors
barn find
barn finds
barn millet
barn owl
barn owls
barn spider
barn star
barn swallow
barn swallows
barnacle (current term)
barnacle goose
barnacled
barnaclelike
barnacles
barnacling
barnase
barnboard
barnboards
barnburner
barnburners
barndoor
barndoor skate
barndoor skates
barned

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