hamburger
noun
ham·burg·er
ˈham-ˌbər-gər 
variants
or hamburg
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
Ground beef can be made into hamburgers and meatballs or as a protein for tacos, chili, or casseroles.
—
Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2025
The breakfast sandwich-burger mashup combines the best of both classic dishes, featuring a small hamburger patty, an egg, hashbrown sticks, American cheese, bacon, and Creamy Pepper sauce.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2025
Around the same size as a hamburger bun, the Ultimate Ears Miniroll Ultra-Portable Bluetooth speaker offers a surprising amount of volume and bass for its size.
—Seamus Bellamy, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2025
The restaurant and bar, originally built in 1929 as a residence, has been feeding and watering the communities around it with warmth, humor and hamburgers ever since Martin Duffy first opened the business in 1955.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamburger
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Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2025
The breakfast sandwich-burger mashup combines the best of both classic dishes, featuring a small hamburger patty, an egg, hashbrown sticks, American cheese, bacon, and Creamy Pepper sauce.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2025
Around the same size as a hamburger bun, the Ultimate Ears Miniroll Ultra-Portable Bluetooth speaker offers a surprising amount of volume and bass for its size.
—Seamus Bellamy, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2025
The restaurant and bar, originally built in 1929 as a residence, has been feeding and watering the communities around it with warmth, humor and hamburgers ever since Martin Duffy first opened the business in 1955.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamburger
Cite this Entry
“Hamburger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hamburger. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hamburger
noun
ham·burg·er
ˈham-ˌbər-gər
variants
or hamburg
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.
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