What does barby mean?
"Barby" is an informal noun used chiefly in Australian and New Zealand English as a shortened form of "barbecue." It can refer either to the equipment used for grilling food outdoors or, more commonly, to the relaxed social occasion built around it, where friends and family gather in a backyard or park while meat and vegetables cook over hot coals or a gas flame. The word carries warm, easygoing connotations of sunshine, casual hospitality, and national identity — the backyard barby is something of an icon of Australian life, famously echoed in tourism campaigns urging cooks to "put another shrimp on the barby." Because it belongs firmly to colloquial speech, it appears mainly in conversation, advertising, and light journalism rather than formal writing. Outside Australasia the term is little known, with speakers elsewhere favouring "barbecue," "BBQ," or "cookout" instead.
nounAn informal Australian and New Zealand term for a barbecue, whether the cooking apparatus itself or a social gathering centered on grilling food outdoors.
- A barbecue grill or the act of barbecuing food outdoors.
- A casual social gathering built around outdoor grilling.
"We're throwing a barby on Saturday — bring your own meat and drinks."
"Chuck another shrimp on the barby, mate."
"The whole street turned up for the neighbourhood barby on Australia Day."
The plural follows standard English formation and typically refers to multiple barbecue gatherings rather than multiple grills.
"Summer weekends here mean back-to-back barbies with friends and neighbours."
In Australia, inviting someone to a "barby" is practically a national institution — no weekend is complete without one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of barby
"Barby" arose in twentieth-century Australia as a colloquial shortening of "barbecue," itself borrowed from Spanish "barbacoa," which traces back through Caribbean sources to the Taíno people of the West Indies, who used wooden frames for drying and smoking meat over fire. The clipped, affectionate form reflects a broader Australian habit of abbreviating words and adding a friendly ending. It remains a regional variant of the same slang that produced the more widespread spelling "barbie."
How barby is actually used
Strongly associated with Australian and New Zealand English; rarely used in British or American speech, where "barbecue," "BBQ," or "cookout" are preferred. Informal register throughout.
Easily confused with barby
"Barbie" (with an i) refers either to the Mattel fashion doll or to the more common Australian slang spelling of barbecue, whereas "barby" with a y is simply a less frequent variant of that same barbecue slang.