hamburger

UK: /ˈhæmbɜː^rgə^r/ US: /ˈhæmˌbɝgɚ/ ,(ham′bûr′gər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ham•burg•er /ˈhæmˌbɜrgɚ/   n. 

1. Food [uncountable] ground beef.
2. Food [countable] a rounded, flattened patty of ground beef.
3. Food [countable] a sandwich made up of such a patty.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ham•burg•er  (ham′bûr′gər), n. 

1. Food a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground or chopped beef, usually in a roll or bun, variously garnished.
2. Food ground or chopped beef.
3. Food Also called Ham′burg steak′. a patty of ground or chopped beef, seasoned and fried or broiled.

Also, ham•burg  (ham′bûrg). Also called beefburger. 

• 1885–90; short for Hamburger steak; see -er¹

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hamburger / ˈhæmˌbɜːɡə/ noun

1. a flat fried cake of minced beef, often served in a bread roll
2. a symbol consisting of three parallel horizontal lines, which can be clicked on by the user of a web page to access a menu of options

Etymology: 20th Century: shortened from Hamburger steak (that is, steak in the fashion of Hamburg); sense 2 from the supposed resemblance of the symbol to a hamburger in a bread roll