barnacle

== English == === Etymology === Uncertain, with long-debated origin. From Middle English barnakille, from earlier bernake, bernekke, most likely from Old Northern French bernaque (“barnacle”) (compare French barnache), probably from Medieval Latin barneca (“limpet”), probably from Gaulish (compare Welsh brennig, Irish bairneach), from Proto-Celtic *barannīkos, from *barinā (“rock, rocky ground”) (compare Old Irish barenn (“boulder”)), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷr̥H- (“hill, mountain”) + Proto-Celtic *-ākos, from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ḱos; for sense development, compare Ancient Greek λέπας (lépas, “rock”) which gave λεπάς (lepás, “limpet”). First attestations referred to the goose, with corresponding folklore (q.v.). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈbɑːnəkl̩/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈbɑɹnəkl̩/ Hyphenation: bar‧na‧cle === Noun === barnacle (plural barnacles) A marine crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia that attaches itself to submerged surfaces such as tidal rocks or the bottoms of ships. Hypernyms: arthropod, crustacean The barnacle goose. (engineering, slang) In electrical engineering, a change made to a product on the manufacturing floor that was not part of the original product design. (electronics, slang) On printed circuit boards, a change such as soldering a wire in order to connect two points, or addition such as an added resistor or capacitor, subassembly or daughterboard. (software engineering, slang) A deprecated or obsolete file, image or other artifact that remains with a project even though it is no longer needed. Synonym: (collectively) cruft (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:) (obsolete, in the plural) An instrument like a pair of pincers, to fix on the nose of a vicious horse while shoeing so as to make it more tractable. Synonym: twitch (archaic, UK, slang, in the plural) A pair of spectacles. (slang, obsolete) A good job, or snack easily obtained. (slang) A worldly sailor. Synonym: shellback ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === barnacle (third-person singular simple present barnacles, present participle barnacling, simple past and past participle barnacled) To connect with or attach. To press close against something. === See also === limpet === Further reading === “barnacle”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. [Francis] Grose [et al.] (1811), “Barnacle”, in Lexicon Balatronicum. A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence. […], London: […] C. Chappell, […], →OCLC. barnacle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia barnacle (slang) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Anagrams === balancer