barnaclenoun [ C ]
uk/ˈbɑː.nə.kəl/us/ˈbɑːr.nə.kəl/a small sea creature with a shell, that sticks very tightly and in large numbers to rocks and the bottom of boats
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Sea creatures
- abalone
- amphipod
- bivalve
- cephalopod
- clam
- crayfish
- crustacean
- cuttlefish
- echinoderm
- jellyfish
- mussel
- octopus
- oyster
- periwinkle
- prawn
- shrimp
- squid
- starfish
- teredo
- trilobite
See more results »
Examples from literature
- Barnacles formed in clusters, stopping the speed, and sea-worms bored through the planking.
- Nearly every rock has its crust of barnacles and clumps of mussels.
- O, the barnacles that cling to your keel in such waters!
- Ships that go around the world accumulate many barnacles, but barnacles as a help to the navigator are an iridescent dream.
- The barnacles interfere greatly with the speed of a vessel, and in a cruiser speed is of prime importance.