burger
BUR-guh
Burger (noun) means a patty of ground meat (or a meatless substitute) served in a split bun, often with toppings. Example: “I'll have a chicken burger with salad, please.”
noun
1
A patty of ground meat (or a meatless substitute) served in a split bun, often with toppings.
"I'll have a chicken burger with salad, please."
"He ordered a cheeseburger and fries."
"They grilled veggie burgers for the vegetarians at the party."
How to use burger
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA hamburger, or any similar sandwich made with a patty in a bun.
Common pairings
cheeseburger
veggie burger
burger and fries
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Word forms
- Plural
- burgers
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I'll have a chicken _____ with salad, please.
Etymology
Shortened from "hamburger", itself named after Hamburg, Germany, with the word later mistakenly broken up into "ham" + "burger".
Synonyms
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Rhymes for burger
See all rhymes for burger →Frequently asked questions
What does “burger” mean?
The word “burger” means a patty of ground meat (or a meatless substitute) served in a split bun, often with toppings. In plain terms, a hamburger, or any similar sandwich made with a patty in a bun.
How do you pronounce “burger”?
“Burger” is pronounced BUR-guh (/ˈbɝ.ɡɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “burger” in a sentence?
Here is “burger” used in a sentence: “He ordered a cheeseburger and fries.”
What part of speech is “burger”?
“Burger” is a noun.
Where does the word “burger” come from?
The word “burger” comes from German. Shortened from "hamburger", itself named after Hamburg, Germany, with the word later mistakenly broken up into "ham" + "burger".
Is “burger” a common word?
“Burger” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between a burger and a hamburger?
A hamburger is specifically a burger made with ground beef, while burger is the broader term for any patty served in a split bun, including chicken, fish, and veggie burgers. In everyday speech the two are interchangeable when beef is involved, since burger began as a shortened form of hamburger.
Why is it called a hamburger if it contains no ham?
The word comes from Hamburg, the German city, by way of "Hamburg steak", an earlier name for a seasoned beef patty. English speakers later reinterpreted the word as ham + burger, which detached burger as a word in its own right and produced formations like cheeseburger and veggie burger.
Is a burger a sandwich?
By the broad definition — a filling served in or between bread — a burger qualifies as a sandwich, since it is a patty served in a split bun. In everyday usage, though, most people and menus treat burgers as their own category rather than listing them with sandwiches.
Can a burger be meatless?
Yes. A burger is a patty of ground meat or a meatless substitute served in a split bun, so veggie burgers, bean burgers, and plant-based burgers are all burgers in the standard sense. When the distinction matters, meat versions are specified as beef burgers or hamburgers.
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