barnacle
/'bɑ:nəkl/
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of marine crustacean: A small sea creature that permanently attaches itself to hard surfaces like rocks, ship hulls, or even whales. As an adult, it lives inside a hard, calcareous shell.
- A type of goose: A European wild goose (Branta leucopsis) that is smaller than a brant.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Marine Animal):
- The bottom of the boat was covered in barnacles.
- Barnacles are filter feeders that catch food with their feathery legs.
- Noun (Goose):
- A flock of barnacles was seen migrating along the coast.
Advanced Usage
- "Barnacle" as a metaphor: Used to describe a person who clings persistently or annoyingly to someone or something.
- He was a barnacle on the company, refusing to retire and blocking younger talent.
Variants and Related Words
- Barnacled (adj): Covered with barnacles.
- The barnacled hull of the old ship.
- Acorn barnacle (n): A common type of barnacle with a shell shaped like an acorn.
- Goose barnacle (n): A type of barnacle with a long, fleshy stalk, historically thought to be related to geese.
Synonyms
- Crustacean (for the marine animal).
- Goose (for the bird).
Related Phrases
- To cling like a barnacle: To stick to someone or something very tenaciously.
- The paparazzi clung to the celebrity like barnacles.
Noun
-
European goose smaller than the brant; breeds in the far north
-
marine crustaceans with feathery food-catching appendages; free-swimming as larvae; as adults form a hard shell and live attached to submerged surfaces
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