Bar"na*cle, n. [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 sing.]
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.
Bar"na*cle (?), n. [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. pe`rna ham. Cf.
F. bernacle, barnacle, E. barnacle a goose; and Ir.
bairneach, barneach, limpet.] (Zoöl.) 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 (Zoöl.), the orange
filefish. -- Barnacle scale (Zoöl.),
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, n. [See Bernicle.] A
bernicle goose.