The AI-powered English dictionary
plural barnacles
A marine crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia that attaches itself to submerged surfaces such as tidal rocks or the bottoms of ships. examples
The barnacle goose. examples
(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.
(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.
(archaic, Britain, slang, in the plural) A pair of spectacles.
(slang, obsolete) A good job, or snack easily obtained.
(slang) A worldly sailor.
third-person singular simple present barnacles, present participle barnacling, simple past and past participle barnacled
To connect with or attach. quotations examples
Tokuda went over everything his grandfather had taught him, including the commentary that had barnacled on to the core knowledge.
2009, Liza Dalby, Hidden Buddhas: A Novel of Karma and Chaos, Stone Bridge Press, published 2009, page 178
To press close against something. quotations examples
He turned a corner to where he supposed the cupboard might be, to find Howie and Alanna barnacled together in an embrace.
2002, Douglas Coupland, All Families Are Psychotic, Vintage Canada, published 2002, page 16