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

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

So, there's still time to prepare your backyard barbecue menu and stock up on sunscreen for the family's beach vacation. —Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024

Craft brewers will square off during a 12:30 p.m. hockey contest; beer and barbecue are on the agenda, 2 to 5p.m.; and the San Diego Gulls will take on Coachella Valley Firebirds at 6 p.m. —Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024

And, perhaps, the barbecue place and brewery are just the first of many new retail options in the growing area, which has few choices by way of bars and restaurants. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024

Customers can expect to find all their Buc-ee’s favorites, like Beaver Nuggets, Texas barbecue and homemade fudge. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024

There was also a barbecue lunch at The Huntington Beach House following the ride. —Heather McRea, Orange County Register, 8 Apr. 2024

Parks swelled with families and friends who ate barbecue and nachos before turning their gaze skyward. —Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 8 Apr. 2024

This country of 51 million has more than 70,000 barbecue restaurants. —Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 1 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