hamburger

American  

[ham-bur-ger] / ˈhæmˌbɜr gər /

Also hamburg

noun

hamburgers plural

1. a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground or chopped beef, usually in a roll or bun, variously garnished.

2. ground or chopped beef.

3. Also called Hamburg steak.  a patty of ground or chopped beef, seasoned and fried or broiled.

4. Digital Technology. hamburger menu.

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hamburger British  

/ ˈhæmˌbɜːɡə /

noun

1. Also called: Hamburger steak.   beefburger.  a flat fried cake of minced beef, often served in a bread roll

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hamburgers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hamburger

First recorded in 1880–85; short for Hamburger steak or Hamburg steak, a dish that originated in Hamburg, Germany, the port city from which many Germans emigrated to the United States, or in New York City and was made popular by immigrant Germans in the 19th century in Greater New York; see -er ¹

Explanation

A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked meat patty on a bun or roll. You can order a hamburger, fries, and a shake at most fast food restaurants. Hamburgers are traditionally made with ground beef and served with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, ketchup, and other garnishes. You can also make a hamburger with turkey or other kinds of meat — although rarely, if ever, is ham used in a hamburger. Hamburgers were originally called "hamburg steak," named for the German city of Hamburg, although no actual connection between the place and the food has ever been documented.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hamburger hamburgers

Rapport matters, and if you don’t have confidence in this guy when you are done politely grilling him like a hamburger on the Fourth of July, move on to someone who does.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

Inflation has been creeping up since February, but your wallet will feel a lot lighter after you scan the hamburger, hot dogs, buns, and even the barbecue sauce for your America’s 250th birthday party.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

So far, they have been to chains including the Tex-Mex staple Chipotle and the famous hamburger shop Shake Shack, as well as small, independently-run restaurants.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

Regional burger chains like In-N-Out, Whataburger and Culver’s are driving much of the growth in the U.S. hamburger category.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

The food arrives, and it is not pasta and veal pounded thin, but creamed chicken over biscuits, and hamburger steak and gravy with peas and rolls and mashed potatoes.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Health authorities in 2024 traced a deadly E. coli outbreak to McDonald’s hamburgers dressed with Taylor Farms’ slivered yellow onions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

Some customers are leaving vegetables off hamburgers and sandwiches, but people are still ordering salads.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

In the episode, Celenza uses the two for a breakfast sandwich, but mayo and hot sauce can be used in a multitude of meals: sandwiches, salads, marinades, hamburgers, tacos… do I need to keep going?

From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026

“It’s French fries and hot dogs and hamburgers and ice cream. It’s disgusting, isn’t it?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026

We got hamburgers and left a big tip.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin