smokehouse
Small outbuilding where meat gets cured and smoked.
Also called smoke house.
Updated September 24, 2026
smokehouse pronunciation
/SMOKE-howss/
Meaning
On a farm place, the smokehouse is where you hang hams, bacon, and sausage over slow hardwood smoke until they're cured and ready to keep. It sits off by itself, often a little log or board shack with a dirt floor and a smell that sticks to your clothes. When somebody says they're heading to the smokehouse, they mean the meat shed, not a barbecue joint downtown.
How folks use it
- “Daddy's got three hams hanging in the smokehouse from last hog killing.”
- “Go fetch a slab of side meat out of the smokehouse for breakfast.”
Origin and etymology
Plain English compound: smoke plus house. Rural Southern and Appalachian families used these little buildings for generations to dry-cure and smoke pork before refrigeration. Hickory was a favorite wood. Commercial country-ham shops still talk about "the smokehouse" the same way farm folks always did.
Frequently asked questions
Is a smokehouse the same as a barbecue pit?
No. A smokehouse is for curing and keeping meat over time. A pit or smoker is for cooking supper.