barrack

1 of 3

noun

bar·​rack ˈber-ək 

-ik;

ˈba-rək, 

-rik

1

: a building or set of buildings used especially for lodging soldiers in garrison

—usually plural

2

a

: a structure resembling a shed or barn that provides temporary housing

—usually plural

b

: housing characterized by extreme plainness or dreary uniformity

—usually 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

Noun

Led by the Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations and Environment, the task force’s job is to accelerate repairs of the barracks, which the federal government has intended to conduct for years, without significant results. — Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2026

Cherri will create several large-scale sculptures for the garden of the Officers’ Casino, part of the Gremmendorf military barracks that were built by the Nazis and used by the British military until 2012. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Verb

Villa’s supporters revelled in his struggles as the game went on, booing and barracking. — Oliver Kay, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025

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

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

Rhymes for barrack

• arrack
• barbaric
• pindaric
• isobaric