1. a large building or group of buildings used to house soldiers: "the troops were ordered back to barracks"
▪ a building or group of buildings used to house a specific group of people, such as labourers or prisoners, in austere conditions: "factory owners were usually responsible for the housing of their workers, providing barracks nearby"
▪ a large, ugly building:"that great barrack of a house"
Word Originlate 17th century: barrack from French baraque, from Italian baracca or Spanish barraca ‘soldier's tent’, of unknown origin.