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

Come Sunday afternoon, bellies full of hotdogs and hamburgers, the campers exchange hugs and phone numbers. —Rachel Hale, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025

What To Know To create its rankings of which cities spend the most and least on fast food, WalletHub examined average food prices of hamburgers, pizza and chicken sandwiches across 100 cities, before adjusting for their average monthly incomes. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025

The mastermind of Hamburger America—first a documentary and now a restaurant—Motz has traveled the country, deep diving into the delicious world of hamburgers. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025

Lunch is packed with all sorts of sandwiches (BLT, french dip, Reuben) and hamburgers (patty melt, Jamaican jerk, jalapeno burger) to salads, tacos and more. —Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 18 Sep. 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.