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barbecue Meaning & Definition

/ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː/

What Does Barbecue Mean?

Barbecue is used as a noun meaning A fireplace or pit for grilling food, typically used outdoors and traditionally employing hot charcoal as the heating medium. It is also used to mean A meal or event highlighted by food cooked in such an apparatus. As a verb, it means To cook food on a barbecue; to smoke food over indirect heat from high-smoke fuels. As a verb, it means To cook food on a barbecue; to smoke it over indirect heat from high-smoke fuels.

Barbecue: Key Facts

Part of speechnoun, verb
Pronunciation/ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː/
Synonymscook out and braai
Pluralbarbecues
Verb formsbarbecues, barbecuing, barbecued

Barbecue Definition (Noun)

  1. A fireplace or pit for grilling food, typically used outdoors and traditionally employing hot charcoal as the heating medium.

    We cooked our food on the barbecue.

  2. A meal or event highlighted by food cooked in such an apparatus.

    We're having a barbecue on Saturday, and you're invited.

  3. Meat, especially pork or beef, which has been cooked in such an apparatus (i.e. smoked over indirect heat from high-smoke fuels) and then chopped up or shredded.

    She ordered a plate of barbecue with a side of slaw.

  4. A hog, ox, or other large animal roasted or broiled whole for a feast.
  5. A floor on which coffee beans are sun-dried.
  6. A framework of sticks.

Barbecue as a Verb

  1. To cook food on a barbecue; to smoke food over indirect heat from high-smoke fuels.
  2. To grill.
  3. To kill or destroy using high heat or fire; to cook; to burn.

Verb

  1. To cook food on a barbecue; to smoke it over indirect heat from high-smoke fuels.

Synonyms of Barbecue

Barbecue synonyms and antonyms →

Barbecue in a Sentence

We cooked our food on the barbecue.

We're having a barbecue on Saturday, and you're invited.

She ordered a plate of barbecue with a side of slaw.

Word Forms & Grammar

barbecue (countable and uncountable, plural barbecues)

barbecue (third-person singular simple present barbecues, present participle barbecuing or barbecueing, simple past and past participle barbecued)

Words That Rhyme With Barbecue

Origin of Barbecue

From mid-17th century. Borrowed from Spanish barbacoa, from Taíno barbakoa (“framework of sticks”), the raised wooden structure the natives used to either sleep on or cure meat. Originally “meal of roasted meat or fish”. Doublet of balbacua and barbacoa.

Barbecue: Your Questions Answered

Is barbecue a noun or a verb?

Barbecue is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

What is another word for barbecue?

Close synonyms of barbecue are cook out and braai. See the full list of barbecue synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of barbecue?

The plural of barbecue is barbecues.

What is the past tense of barbecue?

The past tense of barbecue is barbecued. The present participle is barbecuing.

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