barbecue

or bar·be·que, bar-b-que

[ bahr-bi-kyoo ]

noun

1. pieces of meat, fowl, fish, or the like, roasted or smoked over fire, especially when basted in a barbecue sauce:

   The restaurant serves amazing barbecue.

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

   Make sure you clean off the barbecue so it's ready to use when we go camping.

3. a meal, usually in the open air and often as a social gathering, at which meats are roasted on a grill or over an open hearth or pit.
4. any social gathering centered around food, especially meat, that is cooked over fire using a grill, spit, smoker, or the like:

   Our weekend barbecue was lively until it started to rain.

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

verb (used with object)

, bar·be·cued, bar·be·cu·ing.

1. to broil, smoke, or roast (meat, fowl, fish, or the like) whole or in large pieces over an open fire, using a spit, grill, smoker, or the like, often seasoning with vinegar, spices, salt, and pepper:

   They barbecued a chicken and some steaks for dinner.

2. to cook (sliced or diced meat, fowl, fish, or the like) in a highly seasoned sauce.

verb (used without object)

, bar·be·cued, bar·be·cu·ing.

1. to cook over an open fire using an instrument such as a grill, spit, or smoker, or to host a social gathering where food is cooked in this manner:

   If the weather's nice, we'll barbecue in the backyard.

barbecue

/ ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː /

noun

1. a meal cooked out of doors over an open fire
2. an outdoor party or picnic at which barbecued food is served
3. a grill or fireplace used in barbecuing
4. the food so cooked

verb

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

Other Words From

• bar·be·cu·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of barbecue¹

First recorded in 1655–65; from Spanish barbacoa, from Arawak (perhaps Taíno ) barbacoa “a raised frame of sticks”

Word History and Origins

Origin of barbecue¹

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

Example Sentences

He insisted on taking her out to dinner at a barbecue restaurant on La Brea Avenue to repay her for her help.

From Los Angeles Times

Local government saw it as a opportunity to recreate the instant fame that the town of Zibo enjoyed last year because of its barbecues.

From BBC

People ate from a buffet from The Park’s Finest, the delicious Filipino barbecue spot run by a friend of hers.

From Los Angeles Times

Other measures include bans on engine-powered rickshaws and vendors that barbecue without filters.

From BBC

Between them, on Tuesday alone the royal couple visited the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, a food bank, a social housing project, a literacy initiative and a community barbecue.

From BBC

Related Words

• cookout
• picnic