braai, noun

/ˈbraɪ/
Origin:
Shortened form of braaivleis, see braaivleis.
Barbecue.
1.
a. An informal outdoor gathering at which meat is grilled over an open fire; braaivleis sense 1; braaivleisaand; vleisbraai. Also attributive, and occasionally figurative.
1959 Cape Times 11 Apr. 4Chicken Braai at Somerset West.
1963 M.G. McCoy Informant, Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), Eastern CapeAll of us went out to Bushy Park at 11 for a braai.
1969 I. Vaughan Last of Sunlit Yrs 31After some argument, we all..decide to go off to German Bay for a swim and a braai.
1970 Halls Committee Minutes (Rhodes University) 26 Oct. 3Students should acquaint themselves with Municipal regulations regarding the holding of braais.
1975 Darling 1 Oct. 31Don’t let the kids gallop around with braai forks — there’s always someone who gets maimed or branded.
1976 V. Rosenberg Sunflower 213The menu in the Bosman-Vorster camp comprised braai chops, ‘stywepap’ and ‘vetkoek’, all washed down with claret.
1978 Sunday Times 3 Aug. (Mag. Sect.) 3It’s braaivleis time! Bring out the charcoal, fix up the grid. Isn’t it good to be South African and enjoy a braai!
1978 A.P. Brink Rumours of Rain 148In the evening we had guests at a braai beside the pool until after midnight.
1984 Reader’s Digest Jan. 43A braai isn’t a braai without boerewors.
1989 Sunday Times 19 Nov. (Mag. Sect.) 10The rest of the world has Gorbachev and his glasnost initiative, and we have De Klerk and his boerewost [sic] initiative but yet I cannot help wondering if somehow we are not still headed for a braai.
1990 W. Botha in Frontline Sept. 19You know, our Zulu men’s kingdom is beer and braai meat.
1990 B. Ronge in Sunday Times 2 Dec. (Mag. Sect.) 8If there are bean sprouts on the salads, you are at a relevant braai.
1993 [see bok sense 1 a].
b. With distinguishing epithets designating different types of braai according to:
i. The method used:
newspaper braai, a braai using tightly-rolled newspaper as fuel;
spit-braai, a braai at which a pig, sheep, or other animal is roasted on a spit.
1988 H. Prendini in Style June 105Like the man who invented the newspaper braai..he gets an immense kick out of using whatever comes to hand.
1982 Het Suid-Western 22 Dec.Spectators at Saturday’s gathering who attended a delightful spit-braai after the drill.
1989 Weekend Post 16 Dec. 1A mammoth spit braai..will be held in Bathurst.
ii. The food grilled:
chicken braai, fish braai, oxbraai, pork-braai, etc.
1972 Grocott’s Mail 17 Nov. 3A chicken braai and dance, with no political speeches..will be held for United Party supporters and friends.
1977 Darling 8 June 120One of my greatest pleasures in life is a fish braai during the summer holiday when fresh fish is abundant.
1983 E. Prov. Herald 12 Jan. 6On Wednesday night delegates will attend a ‘fishtrek’ and fishbraai.
1988 E. Withers in Fair Lady 22 June (Suppl.) 15Another chapter deals with the increasingly popular fish braai.
1980 Sunday Times 25 May 11Inviting Hindus to an oxbraai is tantamount to inviting Muslims or Jews to a pork braai.
2.
a. Any of several types of structure in which a fire is made for the outdoor grilling of meat.
Note:
These may be stone or brick fireplaces or portable wood, gas or charcoal grills.
1962 J. Taylor ‘Hennie van Saracen’. (lyrics)As we sits round the braai, chewing boerewors, My Dad says ‘You’re famous Son’.
1970 Argus 3 Oct. 18Entertain your friends on the patio with its built-in braai.
1972 Sunday Times 2 Sept. (Mag. Sect.) 4Someone grabbed our braai and sosaties and vanished into the night. We did not mind the loss of the food so much, as the loss of the braai.
1976 Daily Dispatch 24 Aug. 16Lovely to look at, delightful to own. South entry, north-facing home with secluded outdoor living around the pool and braai.
1990 Sunday Times 29 Oct. (Mag. Sect.) 38While the ladies prepare the salads and the mieliepap, the small talk around the braai is the same as the big talk. Farming.
b. Occasionally with distinguishing epithet designating the type of structure so used:
gas braai;
skottel-braai, see skottel sense 2.
1993 Getaway Nov. 28 (advt)Ken and Angela Self with their tent, sleeping bags, gas braai and the rest of their gear set off to take on the challenge of Africa.
3. noncount. Meat grilled over an open fire; braaivleis sense 2.
1972 Cape Times 29 Apr. 2Braai, cooked in the garden, was served in the restored ‘keller’ which is shortly to be opened as a restaurant.
1976 Sunday Times 16 May (Mag. Sect.) 4Unlike the ladies there, who are obviously accustomed to that kind of meat,..I stuck to the braai.
1986 D. Case Love, David 25‘Smell that braai!’ Oupa said. ‘Yes,’ David replied. ‘It makes you hungry.’
4. combinations
braai area, an outdoor area including a fireplace on which meat may be grilled;
braai pack, also braai pak, an assortment of braai meats or chicken pieces;
braai pit, a hole in the ground in which a fire may be made for grilling meat;
braai wood, twigs and small logs suitable for braai fires;
braaiwors /-vɔ(r)s/ [Afrikaans, wors sausage], sausage, especially boerewors.
1979 E. Prov. Herald 31 Oct. 11Skill shows..in the neatly handsome brickwork used in the braai area.
1987 Uniform 7 Apr. 2The braai area is used on weekends for braai and potjiekos feasts.
1989 J. Hobbs Thoughts in Makeshift Mortuary 76The back yards were too small to accommodate even a modest swimming pool and braai area.
1977 E. Prov. Herald 10 Feb. 11 (advt)Farmer Brown chickens...Now you can get them in special Braaipaks.
1989 J. Evans in Personality 9 Oct. 23The locals were out in force with picnic hampers of beer and braai packs.
1990 Weekend Post 8 Dec. 12Braai packs or picnic lunches can be bought at the farm.
1984 B. Molloy in Style Nov. 140God help anyone who usurps their favourite braai pit.
1987 A. Soule et al. Wynand du Toit Story 4Around noon Wynand built a fire in their braai pit.
1985 Cape Times 4 Oct. 6He arrives..clutching cushions, sun-umbrella, portable braai, radio,..padkos and braai wood.
1989 Flying Springbok Oct. 108Small-time entrepreneurs were selling..braai wood, making a packet from the occasion.
1938 ‘Mrs Gossip’ in Star 1 Dec. 12Pannekoeke, braaiwors, melktert, mosbolletjies, beskuit and coffee could be had in plenty.
Barbecue.
An informal outdoor gathering at which meat is grilled over an open fire; braaivleis sense 1; braaivleisaand; vleisbraai. Also attributive, and occasionally figurative.
Any of several types of structure in which a fire is made for the outdoor grilling of meat.
Meat grilled over an open fire; braaivleis sense 2.
Derivatives:
Hence (nonce) braai-ish  adjective, braai-y  adjective.
1970 Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)‘I kiss your hand.’ ‘Don’t, it’s all braai-y.’
1979 Sunday Times 4 Mar. (Mag. Sect.) 3It had a very nice braai-ish flavour.
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