rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: bernak
Middle English

bernak

barnacle goose

1 / 1
Close-up of acorn barnacles firmly attached to a wet intertidal rock, showing their ridged calcareous wall plates, diamond-shaped openings, and delicate feeding cirri extending from a few submerged individuals.
noun

barnacle

BAR-nuh-kul/ˈbɑːrnəkl/

A marine crustacean fixed firmly to an underwater surface.

Etymology
barnacleMiddle Englishbarnacle goose

Bernak first named a goose; the word’s deeper origin is unknown. Its later use for the crustacean is connected with the belief that these geese developed from barnacle shells.

Full entry

Related word entries