barbecue

or bar·be·que, bar-b-que

[ bahr-bi-kyoo ]

/ ˈbɑr bɪˌkyu /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR barbecue ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

pieces of beef, fowl, fish, or the like, roasted over an open hearth, especially when basted in a barbecue sauce.

a framework, as a grill or a spit, or a fireplace for cooking meat or vegetables over an open fire.

a dressed steer, lamb, or other animal, roasted whole.

a meal, usually in the open air and often as a political or social gathering, at which meats are roasted over an open hearth or pit.

verb (used with object), bar·be·cued, bar·be·cu·ing.

to broil or roast whole or in large pieces over an open fire, on a spit or grill, often seasoning with vinegar, spices, salt, and pepper.

to cook (sliced or diced meat or fish) in a highly seasoned sauce.

verb (used without object), bar·be·cued, bar·be·cu·ing.

to cook by barbecuing or to entertain at a barbecue: If the weather's nice, we'll barbecue in the backyard.

Nearby words

Origin of barbecue

1655–65; < Spanish barbacoa < Arawak (perhaps Taino) barbacoa a raised frame of sticks

Related formsbar·be·cu·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for barbecue

So, the Southside Smokehouse is more than a barbecue pit, a burger shack, or a Cajun kitchen.
The Ultimate Southern Cheeseburger Created in South Carolina|Jane & Michael Stern|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We remember that time a flight attendant told us at a barbecue that if the bell tones four times, things are serious.
The Malaysian Air Tragedy Reawakens a Primal Fear|Kelly Williams Brown|July 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He went on to open a dry cleaning business, barbecue restaurant, and liquor store.
Donald Sterling and Five Other Members of the Lifetime Ban Club|Nina Strochlic|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You know the Korean-style barbecue that you wrap in lettuce leaves to eat?
Chang-rae Lee: How I Write|Noah Charney|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

If you need another reason to dine, the barbecue is tasty and the fixins are plentiful.
Delayed? The Best Airport Restaurants to Eat at This Thanksgiving|Brandy Zadrozny|November 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He could catch turkeys with a noose, and young pigs to barbecue.
The Hour and the Man|Harriet Martineau
Lil and I met three years before, at a barbecue that some friends of her parents threw, a kind of castmember mixer.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom|Cory Doctorow
It is a part of the bluff; fattening the thing a little before they barbecue it.
The Grafters|Francis Lynde
They have a fine farm and a barbecue was arranged in my honor.
Adventures in Swaziland|Owen Rowe O'Neil
It had occurred to him that he had not seen old Caleb Brent and Nan at the barbecue, and he wondered why.
Kindred of the Dust|Peter B. Kyne

British Dictionary definitions for barbecue

barbecue

/ (ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː) /

noun

a meal cooked out of doors over an open fire

an outdoor party or picnic at which barbecued food is served

a grill or fireplace used in barbecuing

the food so cooked

verb -cues, -cuing or -cued (tr)

to cook (meat, fish, etc) on a grill, usually over charcoal and often with a highly seasoned sauce

to cook (meat, fish, etc) in a highly seasoned sauce

Word Origin for barbecue

C17: from American Spanish barbacoa, probably from Taino: frame made of sticks

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for barbecue (1 of 2)

barbecue

1650s, "framework for grilling meat, fish, etc.," from American Spanish barbacoa, from Arawakan (Haiti) barbakoa "framework of sticks," the raised wooden structure the Indians used to either sleep on or cure meat. Sense of "outdoor meal of roasted meat or fish as a social entertainment" is from 1733; modern popular noun sense of "grill for cooking over an open fire" is from 1931.

Word Origin and History for barbecue (1 of 2)

barbecue

1660s, from barbecue (n.). Related: Barbecued; barbecuing.

barbecue

or bar·be·que, bar-b-que

noun

verb (used with object), bar·be·cued, bar·be·cu·ing.

verb (used without object), bar·be·cued, bar·be·cu·ing.

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Nearby words

Origin of barbecue

Examples from the Web for barbecue

British Dictionary definitions for barbecue

barbecue

noun

verb -cues, -cuing or -cued (tr)

Word Origin for barbecue

Word Origin and History for barbecue (1 of 2)

barbecue

Word Origin and History for barbecue (1 of 2)

barbecue