barnacled

Barnacled describes something encrusted with barnacles, the small crustaceans that attach themselves to ships, rocks, and other submerged surfaces.

The word often appears in nautical contexts to characterize hulls, piers, and whales that have accumulated these shellfish over time.

Figuratively, barnacled can suggest something old, weathered, or weighted down by accumulated attachments: a barnacled old sailor or barnacled traditions that resist change.