barbecue
barbecue
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling:
/ˈbɑːrbɪkjuː/
Syllable Breakdown:
bar: /bɑːr/ - consists of the voiced bilabial stop /b/, the open unrounded back vowel /ɑː/, and the voiced alveolar approximant /r/.
bi: /bɪ/ - consists of the voiced bilabial stop /b/ and the near-close near-front unrounded vowel /ɪ/.
cue: /kjuː/ - consists of the voiceless velar stop /k/, the voiced palatal approximant /j/, and the close back rounded vowel /uː/.
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: barbecue
Plural Noun: barbecues
Verb (base form): barbecue
Verb (third-person singular present): barbecues
Verb (present participle): barbecuing
Verb (past tense/past participle): barbecued
Adjective: barbecued (often used as a past participle acting as an adjective)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A social gathering or outdoor party at which food, typically meat or vegetables, is cooked on a grill or spit over an open fire or hot coals.
Synonyms: cookout, grill-out, BBQ (informal), braai (South African)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a social gathering of this nature, but one could consider an indoor, formal meal as an opposite concept.)
Definition 2: A structure or apparatus, often portable, used for grilling food outdoors, consisting of a metal grid over a heat source.
Synonyms: grill, brazier, hibachi, smoker
Antonyms: oven (indoor), stovetop (indoor)
Definition 3: The food itself that has been prepared by grilling over an open flame or hot coals, often characterized by a smoky flavor and a distinctive sauce.
Synonyms: grilled meat, smoked food, BBQ (informal)
Antonyms: raw food, boiled food, steamed food
Verb
Definition 1: To cook food, especially meat, on a grill or spit over an open fire or hot coals, typically outdoors.
Synonyms: grill, broil, charbroil, smoke (when referring to slow cooking with smoke)
Antonyms: boil, fry, bake, roast (in an oven)
Definition 2: To hold a social gathering where food is cooked and eaten outdoors using a grill or similar apparatus.
Synonyms: host a cookout, throw a BBQ (informal)
Antonyms: (No direct antonym for hosting this type of event; perhaps "dine indoors" or "have a formal dinner.")
Examples of Use
Book: "He recalled summer evenings, the scent of pine needles and distant barbecue smoke drifting through the open windows of his grandmother's house." (From Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, August 2018)
Newspaper: "Local residents gathered for the annual community barbecue fundraiser, enjoying grilled burgers and live music." (The Daily Gazette)
Online Publication: "Discover the best tips for mastering your backyard barbecue this summer, from choosing the right grill to perfecting your marinade." (Food & Wine magazine online)
Online Publication: "The article explored the surprising history of barbecue culture in the American South, tracing its origins and regional variations." (Smithsonian Magazine online)
Television Show (Dialogue): "Hey, are we still on for a barbecue at your place this Saturday?" "Absolutely! I'm already marinating the ribs." (From an episode of Modern Family, March 2020)
Song Title/Lyrics: "Summertime, and the livin's easy... Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high... Oh, your daddy's rich and your mama's good lookin'... So hush little baby, don't you cry... One of these mornings, you're gonna rise up singing... Then you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky... But till that morning, there's nothing can harm you... With Daddy and Mama standing by." (While not explicitly saying "barbecue," the feeling and imagery of "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald, 1935, evoke cookouts and outdoor gatherings, and "barbecue" is a common subject in many summertime-themed songs).
Podcast: "In this week's episode, we discuss the evolution of barbecue techniques and interview a pitmaster about their award-winning brisket." (From The Sporkful podcast, May 2024)
General Public Discourse (Social Media Post): "Just finished setting up the new barbecue on the patio. Ready for some serious grilling this weekend! #SummerVibes #BBQLife" (User post on X, July 2024)
General Public Discourse (Conversation): "We're planning to barbecue some chicken and corn for dinner tonight if the rain holds off." (Heard in a casual conversation)
10 Quotes Using Barbecue
"Life is a barbecue." (Unknown)
"I like barbecue. I mean, I love it. I could eat it every day." (P. Diddy)
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and a good barbecue is a great shortcut." (Unknown)
"Friends, good food, and a barbecue – that's my idea of a perfect day." (Unknown)
"I'm a big fan of barbecue. I love all kinds." (Tim Allen)
"There's something primal about a barbecue. It connects us to our roots." (Unknown)
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy a barbecue, and that's pretty close." (Unknown)
"My idea of a perfect evening is a great book, a warm fire, and the smell of a distant barbecue." (Unknown)
"A bad day with barbecue is still better than a good day without it." (Unknown)
"The art of barbecue is patience and a good rub." (Unknown)
Etymology
The word "barbecue" has a really interesting origin that takes us back to the Caribbean.
It comes from the Spanish word "barbacoa," which itself was borrowed from the Taíno people, who were indigenous to islands like Hispaniola (where Haiti and the Dominican Republic are today) and Cuba.
The Taíno's "barbakoa" wasn't originally about cooking meat specifically, but rather referred to a raised wooden framework of sticks supported by posts. They used these structures for various purposes, including sleeping elevated off the ground to avoid creatures, and also for drying or slow-cooking meat over a fire. Because the framework was high, the food would cook slowly and soak up a lot of smoky flavor.
The first time the Spanish explorer Gonzalo Fernández De Oviedo y Valdés used the word "barbecoa" in print was in 1526 in Spain, describing this cooking method he observed in the Americas.
When English speakers adopted the word, it slowly transformed into "barbecue." The earliest known use of the word as a verb in English, meaning "to dry or roast on a gridiron," was around 1660. The first recorded use of "barbecue" as a noun, referring to the wooden frame itself, was in 1697 by the English buccaneer William Dampier.
Over time, the meaning expanded beyond just the cooking structure to include the food cooked on it, and eventually, the outdoor social gathering where this kind of cooking and eating takes place.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Barbecue
Barbecue joint: A restaurant specializing in barbecue.
Barbecue pit: A deep hole or structure for slow-cooking barbecue.
Barbecue sauce: A condiment used with grilled or smoked meats.
Backyard barbecue: A casual outdoor gathering for grilling at home.
Barbecue belt: Regions, particularly in the U.S. South, famous for barbecue.
To fire up the grill: To prepare a grill for cooking (similar to barbecue).
Cook up a storm: To prepare a large amount of food, often used with grilling.
Where there's smoke, there's fire: Often used literally in a barbecue context.
Slow and low: A common approach to cooking barbecue for tenderness.
The whole hog: Referring to cooking an entire pig for barbecue.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of barbecue from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
