Hamburger Definition, Meaning, and Examples

Meaning 1：Meat patty sandwich (Hamburger)

Hamburger 🔊

/ˈhæmbɜːrɡər/

A popular fast food made of a cooked meat patty placed inside a sliced bun, often with vegetables and sauces.

Juicy hamburger with cheese and lettuce on plate

Meat patty sandwich 🔊

➕

/miːt ˈpæti ˈsænwɪdʒ/

A hamburger is a type of sandwich consisting of one or more cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun. It often includes lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, pickles, and condiments.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Hamburg, Germany + -er. Originally a German steak, adapted into a sandwich in the US.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'Ham' but it's beef; 'burger' is a common suffix for sandwiches.

📖 Example

After the movie, we decided to grab a hamburger and some fries at the fast-food restaurant nearby. 🔊 After the movie, we decided to grab a hamburger and some fries at the fast-food restaurant nearby.

🔗 Collocations

hamburger bun – The bread roll used to hold a hamburger patty.

hamburger patty – The flat, round piece of ground meat that is the main ingredient of a hamburger.

hamburger stand – A small restaurant or stall that primarily sells hamburgers.

🔄 Synonyms

burger (n.) – An informal shortened form of hamburger.

beefburger (n.) – A British term for a hamburger made from beef.

patty sandwich (n.) – A general term for a sandwich with a meat patty, often used interchangeably with hamburger.

🌱 Derivatives

burger (n.) – A short form of hamburger.

cheeseburger (n.) – A hamburger topped with cheese.

veggie burger (n.) – A burger patty made from vegetables or plant-based ingredients.

📖 Cultural Story

The hamburger's origin traces to 19th-century German immigrants who brought 'Hamburg steak' to America. It was first served between buns at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, becoming a global fast-food icon.