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

Illustration of barnacle

• 1 peduncle
• 2 cirri

Examples of barnacle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Siblings may be latched onto each other, like a barnacle to the hull of a ship. —Geoffrey Greif, Baltimore Sun, 28 Feb. 2026

White barnacles, like stars, climb aboard her shell and fall asleep. —Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026

Saltwater corrodes the moving parts, and marine life like barnacles can jam blades. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026

The study found that the rough concrete surfaces of wind turbine foundations allow sessile organisms — immobile living things like barnacles, sea sponges, and algae — to thrive, and form the basis of a complex food chain. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025

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

• barnacle goose

Kids Definition

barnacle

noun

bar·​na·​cle ˈbär-ni-kəl 

: any of numerous small saltwater crustaceans with feathery outgrowths for gathering food that are free-swimming as larvae but as adults are permanently fastened (as to rocks or the bottoms of ships)

barnacled

-kəld 

adjective