Definitions for barnacleˈbɑr nə kəl

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

bar•na•cleˈbɑr nə kəl(n.)

any marine crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia, having a shell made up of separate plates, being either stalked
Category: Invertebrates
Ref: ( goose barnacle ); ( rock barnacle )
one that clings tenaciously.

Origin of barnacle:

1580–85; perh. a conflation of barnaclebarnacle goose with Cornish brennyk limpet (or Celtic cognates)

bar′na•cled(adj.)

Princeton's WordNet

barnacle, cirriped, cirripede(noun)
marine crustaceans with feathery food-catching appendages; free-swimming as larvae; as adults form a hard shell and live attached to submerged surfaces
barnacle goose, barnacle, Branta leucopsis(noun)
European goose smaller than the brant; breeds in the far north

Wiktionary

barnacle(Noun)
A marine crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia that attaches itself to submerged surfaces such as tidal rocks or the bottoms of ships.
barnacle(Noun)
The barnacle goose.
barnacle(Noun)
In electrical engineering, a change made to a product on the manufacturing floor that was not part of the original product design.
barnacle(Noun)
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.
barnacle(Noun)
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.
barnacle(Noun)
A nickname for spectacles.
barnacle(Noun)
A good job, or snack easily obtained.
barnacle(Verb)
To connect with or attach.
barnacle(Verb)
To press close against something.

Origin: From barnakille, from earlier bernake, bernekke, from bernaque, from (compare brennig, báirneac), from (compare barenn); for sense development, compare λέπας which gave λεπάς.

Webster Dictionary

Barnacle(noun)
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
Barnacle(noun)
a bernicle goose
Barnacle(noun)
an instrument for pinching a horse's nose, and thus restraining him
Barnacle(u)
spectacles; -- so called from their resemblance to the barnacles used by farriers