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barracoon

American  
[bar-uh-koon] / ˌbær əˈkun /

noun

  1. (formerly) a place of temporary confinement for slaves or convicts.


barracoon British  
/ ˌbærəˈkuːn /

noun

  1. (formerly) a temporary place of confinement for slaves or convicts, esp those awaiting transportation

"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

Etymology

Origin of barracoon

1850–55, < Spanish barracón, equivalent to barrac ( a ) hut ( see barrack 1) + -on augmentative suffix


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

These newcomers patrol the coast like abolitionist avengers, superpowering their way through every coffle and barracoon they encounter.

From New York Times ● Jan. 7, 2019

“De barracoon we in ain’ the only slave pen at the place,” he remembers.

From Slate ● Jun. 7, 2018

Scarcely had we landed when a troop of slaves were seen issuing from the barracoon, and led by their captors down to the beach.

From In the Wilds of Africa by Alfred Pearse

There were about a hundred slaves in each barracoon.

From A Roving Commission Or, Through the Black Insurrection at Hayti by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

This barracoon was a shed built of heavy piles driven down into the earth, lashed together with bamboos, and thatched with palm-leaves.

From The Three Midshipmen by Victor Prout

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