barbecueEnglishOxford American Thesaurusbarbecue noun 1 there was an evening barbecue: meal cooked outdoors, … roast; North American cookout; South African braaivleis; New Zealand hangi; informal BBQ; Australian, informal barbie. 2 she bought a barbecue for the yard: grill, rotisserie; North American brazier; in Japan hibachi.verb they barbecued some steaks: cook outdoors, grill, spit-roast; North American broil, charbroil.