barrack

1 of 3

noun

bar·​rack ˈber-ək How to pronounce barrack (audio)
-ik;
ˈba-rək,
-rik
1
: a building or set of buildings used especially for lodging soldiers in garrison
usually used in plural
2
a
: a structure resembling a shed or barn that provides temporary housing
usually used in plural
b
: housing characterized by extreme plainness or dreary uniformity
usually used in plural

barrack

2 of 3

verb (1)

barracked; barracking; barracks

transitive verb

: to lodge in barracks

barrack

3 of 3

verb (2)

barracked; barracking; barracks

transitive verb

chiefly British
: to shout at derisively or sarcastically

intransitive verb

1
chiefly Australia : root, cheer
usually used with for
2
chiefly British : jeer, scoff
barracker noun

Examples of barrack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Midway through the first episode of Say Nothing, Dolours Price encounters a fiery scene in West Belfast: a mob of Northern Irish citizens chucking petrol bombs at a police barracks. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024 When Josie arrived at the makeshift barracks, no one said boo to her let alone gave her the 10-cent tour. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
Simone studied Sanskrit, did social outreach with Indo-Chinese factory workers barracked in a prison, and joined a Resistance network. Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024 For New Yorkers barracked in our houses and apartments, or doctors and nurses scrambling for face masks, beseeching a saint to end an epidemic may not sound sufficient. Jason Farago, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2020 See all Example Sentences for barrack 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French baraque hut, from Catalan barraca

Verb (2)

perhaps from dialect (northern Ireland) barrack to brag

First Known Use

Noun

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb (1)

1701, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1885, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of barrack was in 1686

Dictionary Entries Near barrack

Cite this Entry

“Barrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barrack. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

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