barbecue

noun

variants or less commonly barbeque

ˈbär-bi-ˌkyü 

1

a

: a large animal (such as a steer) roasted whole or split over an open fire or a fire in a pit

b

: barbecued food

eat barbecue

2

: a social gathering especially in the open air at which barbecued food is eaten

3

: an often portable fireplace over which meat and fish are roasted

Examples of barbecue in a Sentence

grill a steak on the barbecue

We plan to have a barbecue for the whole family.

She invited us over for some beer and barbecue.

Recent Examples on the Web

Phyllis told Clark that on July 4 that year, Nash left after the barbecue ended. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 5 June 2026

Meals of smoky Korean barbecue and soju drinking sessions are anticipated. —Katie Foley, CNBC, 5 June 2026

Eating contests for kids and adults will feature ice cream, funnel cakes, barbecue pizza, watermelon and corn dogs. —Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 4 June 2026

Often, that makes for a hilarious juxtaposition with the work of the show’s production designer Sharon Lomofsky, who brilliantly captures the absurdity of certain vacation destinations like a barbecue restaurant a stone’s throw from the remote Upstate New York hotel the characters are staying at. —Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from American Spanish barbacoa "wood framework for supporting cooked or dried meat," probably borrowed from Taino of Hispaniola

First Known Use

1733, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing barbecue

• barbecue sauce

Rhymes for barbecue

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

barbecue

1 of 2 verb

bar·​be·​cue ˈbär-bi-ˌkyü 

barbecued; barbecuing

1

: to cook over or before an open source of heat (as hot coals)

2

: to cook in a highly seasoned sauce

barbecuer noun

barbecue

2 of 2 noun

variants also barbeque

1

a

: a large animal (as a hog or steer) roasted or broiled over an open fire

b

: barbecued food

2

: an outdoor social gathering at which barbecued food is eaten

Etymology

from American Spanish barbacoa "a rack for hanging meat over a fire," from an Indigenous language of the Antilles