hibachi
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of hibachi
1860–65; < Japanese, equivalent to hi fire (earlier fi ( y ) < *poi ) +- bachi combining form of hachi pot, earlier fati < Middle Chinese, akin to Chinese bō monk's bowl; perhaps < Pali patta < Sanskrit pā́tra drinking vessel
Explanation
A hibachi is a small, portable charcoal grill. You might bring a hibachi to a beachside cookout, along with some skewered meat and vegetables to cook on it. Hibachi means "firepot" or "fire bowl" in Japanese, and in Japan it mainly refers to a small, charcoal-fired heater. For English speakers, a hibachi is used for cooking small amounts of food outdoors. The hibachis in Western restaurants are electric, but the kind a home cook uses is made from cast iron and has open grates over hot coals — and a Japanese speaker would call it a shichirin.
Vocabulary lists containing hibachi
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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.
For years, he said, he was primarily employed as a private hibachi chef and rode bikes as a hobby.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025
There he is, proving his virtuosity by limiting his tools, playing nothing but a hi-hat in the manner of a hibachi chef.
From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2024
He left it Friday after he ran out of fuel for the hibachi grill he was using to heat the place, he said.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 14, 2024
On “the beach”—an open stretch of snow between the parking lot and the lifts—skiers cavorted over pony kegs and hibachi grills.
From Slate • Dec. 20, 2023
Danny and Vinny watched them closely through the hibachi steam.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
