barbecue Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun meat that has been barbecued or grilled in a highly seasoned sauce
    barbeque.
  2. noun a cookout in which food is cooked over an open fire; especially a whole animal carcass roasted on a spit
    barbeque.
  3. noun a rack to hold meat for cooking over hot charcoal usually out of doors
    barbeque.
  4. verb cook outdoors on a barbecue grill
    cook out; barbeque.
    • let's barbecue that meat
    • We cooked out in the forest

WordNet

Bar"be*cue noun
Etymology
In the language of Indians of Guiana, a frame on which all kinds of flesh and fish are roasted or smoke-dried.
Definitions
  1. A hog, ox, or other large animal roasted or broiled whole for a feast.
  2. A social entertainment, where many people assemble, usually in the open air, at which one or more large animals are roasted or broiled whole.
  3. A floor, on which coffee beans are sun-dried.
Bar"be*cue transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Barbecued ; present participle & verbal noun Barbecuing
Definitions
  1. To dry or cure by exposure on a frame or gridiron.
    They use little or no salt, but barbecue their game and fish in the smoke. Stedman.
  2. To roast or broil whole, as an ox or hog.
    Send me, gods, a whole hog barbecued. Pope.

Webster 1913