barbecue

UK: /ˈbɑː^rbɪkjuː/ US: /ˈbɑrbɪˌkju/ ,(bär′bi kyo̅o̅′)

Inflections of 'barbecue' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

barbecues

v 3rd person singular

barbecuing

v pres p

barbecued

v past

barbecued

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

bar•be•cue or bar•be•que /ˈbɑrbɪˌkyu/   n., v., -cued or -qued, -cu•ing or -qu•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. Food a grill for cooking food over an open fire.
2. a meal, usually outdoors, at which food is roasted over an open fire.

v. 

3. Food to broil or roast (food) over an open fire: [no object]
   It's a pleasant evening; let's barbecue for a change.
   [~ + object]
   Let's barbecue steaks.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

bar•be•cue  (bär′bi kyo̅o̅′), n., v., -cued, -cu•ing. 
n. 

1. Food pieces of beef, fowl, fish, or the like, roasted over an open hearth, esp. when basted in a barbecue sauce.
2. Food a framework, as a grill or a spit, or a fireplace for cooking meat or vegetables over an open fire.
3. Food a dressed steer, lamb, or other animal, roasted whole.
4. a meal, usually in the open air and often as a political or social gathering, at which meats are roasted over an open hearth or pit.

v.t. 

5. Food to broil or roast whole or in large pieces over an open fire, on a spit or grill, often seasoning with vinegar, spices, salt, and pepper.
6. Food to cook (sliced or diced meat or fish) in a highly seasoned sauce.

v.i. 

7. to cook by barbecuing or to entertain at a barbecue:
   If the weather's nice, we'll barbecue in the backyard.

Also, barbeque, bar-b-que. 

• Arawak (perh. Taino) barbacoa a raised frame of sticks
• Spanish barbacoa
• 1655–65

bar′be•cu′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

barbecue / ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː/ noun

1. a meal cooked out of doors over an open fire
2. an outdoor party or picnic at which barbecued food is served
3. a grill or fireplace used in barbecuing
4. the food so cooked

verb ( -cues, -cuing, -cued)(transitive)

1. to cook (meat, fish, etc) on a grill, usually over charcoal and often with a highly seasoned sauce
2. to cook (meat, fish, etc) in a highly seasoned sauce

Etymology: 17th Century: from American Spanish barbacoa, probably from Taino: frame made of sticks