barbecue

1 of 2

verb

bar·​be·​cue ˈbär-bi-ˌkyü 

barbecued; barbecuing; barbecues

transitive verb

1

: to roast or broil (food, such as meat) on a rack or revolving spit over or before a source of heat (such as hot coals or a gas flame)

barbecuing chicken for dinner

2

: to prepare (food, such as beef, pork, or chicken) by seasoning (as with a marinade, a barbecue sauce, or a rub) and cooking usually slowly and with exposure to low heat and to smoke

Barbecuing brisket begins late Thursday night so they can start serving at noon Friday.

—Carlos Frías

To be really barbecued, ribs must roast slowly over hardwood, which cooks them with a combination of heat and smoke.

—Dennis R. Getto

I prepared it with a rub rather than a marinade or barbecue sauce. It was the first time I'd barbecued meat seasoned with a rub, and it was very easy.

—Margaret Prouse

3

informal : to subject (someone) to harsh criticism or ridicule

Republicans now talk of winning 15 to 20 new seats in November, a prospect that has the faithful and the financiers wanting to barbecue Clinton for at least a few more weeks.

—Nancy Gibbs et al.

intransitive verb

: to barbecue food

barbecuing on a grill

There are no shortcuts in barbecuing here. The brisket, for example, is slow smoked with a dry rub for 14 to 16 hours …

—Constance Snow

barbecuer noun

plural barbecuers

barbecue

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly barbeque

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

Verb

We barbecued chicken and ribs.

We barbecue often during the summer.

Noun

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

Verb

Natusch himself also has sampled python barbecued, slow-cooked, sauteed and as curry and jerky. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024

She was served a menu of more than a dozen dishes, including roast goose and barbecued pork, shrimp dumplings, iced sweet and sour pork and egg tarts. —Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024

About: Long-time friends Chris Magallanes and Ernest Morales worked in the audio/visual industry for most of their careers, but always enjoyed barbecuing together on the weekends. —Jenny Rudolph, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024

The 19-time Grammy winner personally paid for all the expenses and barbecued outside during a rainstorm. —Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024

Snake meat—which can be used in soups, curries, sauteed on skewers, dried into jerky and barbecued—is similar in flavor and texture to chicken. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024

When it's cooked whole, it's usually served as a roast or barbecued brisket. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024

Note that it's not barbecued spaghetti (the noodles aren't cooked on a pit) but rather barbecue spaghetti—a fusion of two popular dishes. —Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2024

Also listed on the Texas Monthly list, Hurtado is known for its Tex-Mex approach to barbecue. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024

Noun

To prepare your backyard, deck, or porch for barbecues and pool days, there are impressive deals on chaise lounges and Adirondack chairs, up to 77 percent off. —Ali Faccenda, Peoplemag, 28 Apr. 2024

The nearly 6000-square-foot villa offers a wide range of amenities, including a gym, a stunning pool, amazing views through floor-to-ceiling glass, a barbecue grill and a fire pit, among other comforts. —Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 26 Apr. 2024

The bathrooms and gear are nice and notable, but the centerpiece at Buc-ee’s is its food, built around a barbecue program helmed by world champion pitmaster Randy Pauly. —Drew Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024

The barbecue site’s reopening resolves a messy saga that began last fall when the Mandela Parkway location mysteriously caught fire, just days after Horn had publicized that the building had been tagged by graffiti. —Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024

The building at 4050 University Ave. will have a community room with a kitchen, an outdoor courtyard with recreation areas and a barbecue space with tables and benches. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2024

The barbecue restaurant, with locations in Overland Park and Crown Center, hopes to open in late May/early June. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024

Disneyland plans to open new steakhouse and barbecue concepts at the former Tortilla Jo’s location in Downtown Disney. —Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 10 Apr. 2024

There are homemade cookies, pastries and fudge, pickled quail eggs, candied jalapenos, barbecue spices and sauces, and walls of beef jerky and candy. —Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

American Spanish barbacoa framework for supporting meat over a fire, probably from Taino

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1733, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing barbecue

• barbecue sauce

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

Noun

from American Spanish barbacoa "a rack for hanging meat over a fire," of Caribbean Indian origin