barnacle goose

a wild goose, Branta leucopsis, of northern Europe and Greenland.

[1760-70; earlier barnacle, ME bernacle; cf. MF bernacle, NL bernacula, all deriv. of earlier ME bernak, bernekke, AL bernaca, OF bernaque, of uncert. orig.]

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Species (Branta leucopsis) of waterbird that resembles a small Canada goose, with dark back, white face, and black neck and bib.

It winters in the northern British Isles and on the coasts of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. In the Middle Ages, it was thought to hatch from barnacles, and thus was considered "fish" and could be eaten on Fridays.

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      (Branta leucopsis), water bird of the family Anatidae (order Anseriformes) that resembles a small Canada goose, with dark back, white face, and black neck and bib. It winters in the northern British Isles and on the coasts of Denmark, Germany, and The Netherlands. During the European Middle Ages, people thought it hatched from barnacles; thus, the birds were considered “fish” and could be eaten on Fridays. The brent goose, or brant (q.v.), was called barnacle, or bernicle, in Ireland for the same reason.

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