barnacle goose

noun

: a European goose (Branta leucopsis) that has a whitish face and black breast and breeds in the Arctic

Examples of barnacle goose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At least a single barnacle goose spent most of the week in the fields off School Street in Acton, and a possible second barnacle goose may have been in Concord, but the timing of the two birds was not confirmed. Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023 On this evening, the vixen arrived with a barnacle goose. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2020 Not uncommonly, a whole barnacle goose brood may be lost. National Geographic, 28 Mar. 2019 Then Mildred, a 24-year-old barnacle goose, wobbled painfully across the floor as veterinarians analyzed her gait. Karen Weintraub, New York Times, 29 June 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of barnacle goose was in 1668

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Cite this Entry

“Barnacle goose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barnacle%20goose. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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