noun
barnacle
BAH-nuhkl
noun
1
A small marine crustacean that attaches itself permanently to rocks, boat hulls, or other surfaces.
"The bottom of the boat was crusted with barnacles after a summer in the water."
How to Use Barnacle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small shelled sea creature that clings tightly to underwater surfaces.
Common mistake
Used figuratively for a person or thing that clings on stubbornly, e.g. "he clung to the job like a barnacle."
Common pairings
barnacle-encrusted
scrape off barnacles
Word Forms
barnacled past tense, barnacles plural, barnacles singular
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The bottom of the boat was crusted with _____ after a summer in the water.
Etymology
Origin uncertain and long debated; likely traces through Old French and Medieval Latin back to a Celtic word for rock, since barnacles cling to rocky surfaces.