hamburger

noun

ham·​burg·​er ˈham-ˌbər-gər 

variants or hamburg

ˈham-ˌbərg 

1

a

: ground beef

b

: a patty of ground beef

2

: a sandwich consisting of a patty of hamburger in a split typically round bun

Examples of hamburger in a Sentence

They served hot dogs and hamburgers at the cookout.

Add the cooked hamburger to the sauce.

Recent Examples on the Web

While the hamburger chain entered the South Carolina market to great fanfare in 2024, North Carolina’s time has come this year, with at least eight restaurants set to open. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2025

On Sunday, volunteers gathered at Carolina Forest Community Church, where some firefighters were coordinating their efforts and taking breaks, to grill up hamburgers and hot dogs for the first responders, according to NBC affiliate WMBF of Myrtle Beach. —Dennis Romero, NBC News, 4 Mar. 2025

Perhaps Dylan’s hamburger waiter mien can be attributed to his lack of connection to something greater than himself. —Samantha Allen, Them, 25 Feb. 2025

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in November that slivered onions served on McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers were the probable source of an E. coli outbreak that prompted the fast-food restaurant chain to temporarily stop selling the menu item. —Peter Burke, Fox News, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

German Hamburger of Hamburg, Germany

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

hamburger

noun

ham·​burg·​er ˈham-ˌbər-gər 

variants or hamburg

-ˌbərg 

1

a

: ground beef

b

: a cooked patty of ground beef

2

: a sandwich consisting of a patty of hamburger in a split round bun

Etymology

German Hamburger (adjective) "of Hamburg," city in Germany

Word Origin

It may seem odd that there isn't any ham in a hamburger. The origins of the word hamburger, however, have nothing to do with a type of meat. The word really comes from the name of the German city Hamburg. Hamburger, when capitalized, means "of Hamburg." Cakes of ground beef, often served raw, were a popular food in northern Germany in the 19th century, and so they became known in English as Hamburger steaks. The name was later shortened to hamburger. Most people no longer associate the word hamburger with the city of Hamburg, since the hamburger is now usually thought of as an American food.