burger

¹

[bur-ger]

noun

1. a hamburger.

2. a food patty, or patty on a bun, containing ingredients other than beef.

   veggie or turkey burgers.

Burger

²

[bur-ger]

noun

1. Warren Earl, 1907–1995, U.S. jurist: chief justice of the U.S. 1969–86.

-burger

³

1. a combining form extracted from hamburger, occurring in compounds the initial element of which denotes a special garnish for a hamburger or a substitute ingredient for the meat patty.

   baconburger; cheeseburger; fishburger.

burger

¹

/ ˈbɜːɡə /

noun

1. informal

   1. short for hamburger

   2. ( in combination )

      a cheeseburger

Bürger

²

/ ˈbyrɡər /

noun

1. Gottfried August (ˈɡɔtfriːt ˈauɡʊst). 1747–94, German lyric poet, noted particularly for his ballad Lenore (1773)

Word History and Origins

Origin of burger¹

1935–40, extracted from hamburger by false analysis as ham ¹ + burger

Example Sentences

The smell of burgers, brats and other grilled delicacies wafted through the air as children played football on the grass and a nearby patch of dirt.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I’ve grilled wings, veggies, burgers, kebabs — and even whole fish — over charcoal for excellent results.

Read more on Salon

Make no mistake: Penelope had eaten her share of tasty meat dishes, but the thought of eating a Bertha burger, after all they had been through together, made her feel like . . . like .

Read more on Literature

For $10, customers get fries, a drink and a “recession burger” at one of the chain’s 19 California locations.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The pants cost $5.95, less than what she pays for a burger and fries from In-N-Out, her favorite fast food chain.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When To Use

What does -burger mean?

The combining form -burger is used like a suffix indicating a kind of hamburger or other patty in a sandwich bun.The form -burger comes from the end of the word hamburger, meaning "a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground beef in a roll or bun." The word hamburger itself comes from a shortening of a dish named Hamburger steak, from the German city of Hamburg.