Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ or barby/barbies) is both a cooking method and an apparatus. Barbecuing is done slowly over low, indirect heat and the food is flavored by the smoking process, while grilling, a related process, is generally done quickly over moderate-to-high direct heat that hardly produces smoke.

The word “barbecue” when used as a noun can refer to: the cooking method itself, the meat cooked this way, the cooking apparatus used (the “barbecue grill” or simply “barbecue”), or to a type of social event featuring this type of cooking. The term is also used as a verb, i.e. “barbecuing” is usually done outdoors by smoking the meat over wood or charcoal. Restaurant barbecue may be cooked in large, specially-designed brick or metal ovens. Barbeque is practiced in many areas of the world and there are numerous regional variations.