barnacle
Pronunciation: /ˈbɑːnək(ə)l/
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Definition of barnacle
noun
- a marine crustacean with an external shell, which attaches itself permanently to a surface and feeds by filtering particles from the water using its modified feathery legs.
- Class Cirripedia. See acorn barnacle, goose barnacle
Origin:
late 16th century: from medieval Latin bernaca, of unknown origin. In Middle English the term denoted the barnacle goose, whose breeding grounds were long unknown and which was believed to hatch from the shell of the crustacean to which it gave its name