Barnacle

Pronunciation: /ˈbɑrnəkəl/

Definitions of barnacle

noun a small marine crustacean with a shell that attaches itself to rocks, ship bottoms, and other objects

Example Sentences

A1 Barnacles are small sea creatures that attach themselves to rocks.

A2 The boat's hull was covered in barnacles, slowing it down.

B1 Marine biologists study the behavior of barnacles to understand their ecological role.

B2 Sailors often have to scrape barnacles off the bottom of their boats to prevent damage.

C1 The scientist's research on barnacles led to a breakthrough in marine biology.

C2 The intricate feeding habits of barnacles continue to fascinate researchers around the world.

Examples of barnacle in a Sentence

formal Barnacles are small marine crustaceans that attach themselves to hard surfaces such as rocks or the hulls of ships.

informal I found a bunch of barnacles stuck to the bottom of the boat.

slang That old car is covered in barnacles, it's definitely seen better days.

figurative The barnacles of bureaucracy were slowing down the progress of the project.

Grammatical Forms of barnacle

• past tense: barnacled
• plural: barnacles
• comparative: more barnacled
• superlative: most barnacled
• present tense: barnacles
• future tense: will barnacle
• perfect tense: have barnacled
• continuous tense: are barnacling
• singular: barnacle
• positive degree: barnacle
• infinitive: to barnacle
• gerund: barnacling
• participle: barnacled

Origin and Evolution of barnacle

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old French/Late Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'barnacle' originated from the Old French word 'bernacle' which came from the Late Latin word 'bernacula' meaning 'a kind of shellfish'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to refer to a type of shellfish, the term 'barnacle' later evolved to also describe a type of marine crustacean and eventually came to refer to a device used to connect ships or boats together.