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Webster 1913 Edition
Barnacle
Bar′na-cle
,Noun.
[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. πέρνα
ham. Cf. F. bernacle
, barnacle
, E. barnacle
a goose; and Ir. bairneach
, barneach
, limpet.] (Zool.)
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
(Zool.)
, the orange filefish.
– Barnacle scale
(Zool.)
, 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
,Noun.
[OE.
bernak
, bernacle
; cf. OF. bernac
, and Prov. F. (Berri) berniques
, spectacles.] 1.
pl.
(Far.)
An instrument for pinching a horse’s nose, and thus restraining him.
[Formerly used in the
s
] ing.
The
barnacles
. . . give pain almost equal to that of the switch. Youatt.
2.
pl.
Spectacles; – so called from their resemblance to the barnacles used by farriers.
[Cant, Eng.]
Dickens.
Webster 1828 Edition
Barnacle
B'ARNACLE
,Noun.
1.
A shell which is often found on the bottoms of ships, rocks and timber, below the surface of the sea.2.
A species of goose, found in the northern seas, but visiting more southern climates in winter. The forehead and cheeks are white, but the upper part of the body and neck is black. Formerly, a strange notion prevailed, that these birds grew out of wood, or rather out of the barnacles attached to wood in the sea. Hence the name. It is written also Bernacle.3.
In the plural, an instrument consisting of two branches jointed at one end with a hinge, to put upon a horse's nose, to confine him, for shoeing, bleeding, or dressing.