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noun A1 Beginner Uncommon

hamburger

HAM-bur-guh

Hamburger (noun) means a sandwich made of a cooked ground-meat patty served in a round bun, often with toppings. Example: “They grilled hamburgers for the whole family.”

noun
1
A sandwich made of a cooked ground-meat patty served in a round bun, often with toppings.
"They grilled hamburgers for the whole family."
"She ordered a hamburger with cheese and pickles."
2
Ground beef, especially as sold for cooking (mainly American usage).
"The recipe calls for a pound of hamburger."

How to use hamburger

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe classic ground-beef sandwich in a bun — or, in the US, ground beef itself.

UK vs US

In the US, "hamburger" can also just mean ground beef; British English usually calls that "mince" and reserves "hamburger" for the sandwich.

Common pairings
grill a hamburger hamburger bun hamburger meat

Word forms

hamburgered past tense, Hamburgers plural, hamburgers singular

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They grilled _____ for the whole family.

Etymology

Named after Hamburg, Germany, via the term "Hamburg steak," a dish of seasoned ground beef that later gave its name to the bunned sandwich.

Origin: German

burger beefburger ground beef

Related words

Rhymes for hamburger

See all rhymes for hamburger →

Frequently asked questions

What does “hamburger” mean?

The word “hamburger” means a sandwich made of a cooked ground-meat patty served in a round bun, often with toppings. In plain terms, the classic ground-beef sandwich in a bun — or, in the US, ground beef itself.

How do you pronounce “hamburger”?

“Hamburger” is pronounced HAM-bur-guh (/ˈhæmˌbɜɹ.ɡɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “hamburger” in a sentence?

Here is “hamburger” used in a sentence: “They grilled hamburgers for the whole family.”

What part of speech is “hamburger”?

“Hamburger” is a noun.

Where does the word “hamburger” come from?

The word “hamburger” comes from German. Named after Hamburg, Germany, via the term "Hamburg steak," a dish of seasoned ground beef that later gave its name to the bunned sandwich.

Is “hamburger” a common word?

“Hamburger” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

How many meanings does “hamburger” have?

“Hamburger” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sandwich made of a cooked ground-meat patty served in a round bun, often with toppings.

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