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

Neon lights bathed the arena as fans dressed as hot dogs, hamburgers, pharaohs and candy canes danced in their seats to the bass ricocheting from body to body. —Bryan West, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025

Attendees are asked to bring their favorite side dish or dessert, and hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided. —Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025

Customers can customize the main menu, which includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, a double-double featuring two all-beef patties, fries, and a shake. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2025

For each meal, prisoners are allotted one hour, with the menu compiled by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, including macaroni, tacos, hotdogs and hamburgers. —James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 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.