Category:Barnacle

Bar"na*cle, n. Etym: [Prob. from E. barnacle a kind of goose, which was popularly supposed to grow from this shellfish; but perh. from LL. bernacula for pernacula, dim. of perna ham, sea mussel; cf. Gr. ham Cf. F. bernacle, barnacle, E. barnacle a goose; and Ir. bairneach, barneach, limpet.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: 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 eater (Zoöl.), the orange filefish.

-- Barnacle scale (Zoöl.), a bark louse (Ceroplastes cirripediformis) of the orange and quince trees in Florida. The female scale curiously resembles a sessile barnacle in form.

Bar"na*cle, n. Etym: [See Bernicle.]

Defn: A bernicle goose.

Bar"na*cle, n. Etym: [OE. bernak, bernacle; cf. OF. bernac, and Prov. F. (Berri) berniques, spectacles.]

1. pl. (Far.)

Defn: An instrument for pinching a horse's nose, and thus restraining him.

Note: [Formerly used in the sing.] The barnacles. . . give pain almost equal to that of the switch. Youatt.

2. pl.

Defn: Spectacles; -- so called from their resemblance to the barnacles used by farriers. [Cant, Eng.] Dickens.