barbacoa

barbecue

noun bahr-bah-KOH-ah Rare

Origin: From Taíno barbacoa (raised wooden frame for smoking/drying meat)

Also means

grille

Usage Note

Barbacoa entered Spanish from the Taíno word, and then passed into English as 'barbecue'. In Mexico it specifically refers to meat (traditionally lamb or goat) slow-cooked in an underground pit — quite different from a backyard grill. The same word covers both the cooking method and the grill itself in standard Spanish.

Examples

"Hicimos una barbacoa en el jardín."

Natural Translation

We had a barbecue in the garden.

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