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

Meals like beef tips over rice, hamburger steak with onions and gravy, and fried chicken and fish will fill your belly and bring you back to another time. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2025

Chicken chains also outperformed other restaurants in 2024 in the hamburger category, according to Circana's 2025 Definitive U.S. Restaurant Ranking Report. —Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025

Sun Sentinel Le Tub, Hollywood’s kitschy hamburger dive, turns 50 with big weekend bash The iconic waterfront eatery is marking the milestone with a three-day celebration featuring food and drink specials, souvenir tees and live music on a waterfront barge. —South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2025

How did May 28 become the unofficial hamburger holiday? —Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 29 May 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.