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

The restaurant started as a hamburger stand for his son, Norm, Schock’s uncle, the four original walls of which remain as part of the restaurant. —Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025

In her video, the poster juxtaposed old-school millennial imagery against minimalist snapshots of a woman in a striped top, jeans and cardigan, a plate of hamburgers and fries, and a man in a denim shirt with black skinny jeans. —Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

Your go-to hamburger or hot dog buns are also likely UPFs, along with meats including frozen meatballs, chicken nuggets, hot dogs and most sausages. —Andrea Margolis , Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2025

Decades later, now a Member of the Legislative Assembly, Sheehan had gotten a hamburger and fries. —Philip Metres august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 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.