noun
hamburger
HAM-bur-guh
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 notesIn 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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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.