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 sweet, woody scent of Georgia pines blended with the wafting aroma of sizzling hot dogs and hamburgers. — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Ingredients like ground beef, a package of frozen vegetables, and Worcestershire sauce all come together to make something much like a hamburger in a bowl. — Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2026

Bob’s Burgers, in which the working-class Belcher family — parents Bob (Benjamin) and Linda (Roberts) and their three children Tina (Mintz), Gene (Mirman), and Louise (Schaal) — run a seaside New Jersey hamburger restaurant. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026

Dishes such as beef mantou, its interpretation of the Chinese hamburger, thousand-year-old egg and ricotta, passion fruit fish maw noodles, and a generous offering of spicy Yakitori skewers, sums up its imaginative and bold offerings. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

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.