hibachi

American  

[hi-bah-chee] / hɪˈbɑ tʃi /

noun

1. a small Japanese-style charcoal brazier covered with a grill, usually used for outdoor cooking.

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hibachi British  

/ hɪˈbɑːtʃɪ /

noun

1. a portable brazier for heating and cooking food

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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.

Example Sentences

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

We pulled a load of heavy cans and propane canisters and a welded hibachi barbecue in the trailer cart we’d found out back of the resort, along with Minerva’s share of the camp carry.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline