/ ˈbærəks; NAmE / noun [ C +sing./pl. v . ] ( pl. bar·racks )
1.
a large building or group of buildings for soldiers to live in :
an army barracks
The troops were ordered back to barracks .
2.
any large ugly building or buildings
► bar·rack adjective [ only before noun ]:
a barrack unit
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WORD ORIGIN
late 17th cent.: barrack from French baraque , from Italian baracca or Spanish barraca soldier's tent, of unknown origin.