hamburger

hamburger — noun

1. a food made by forming finely chopped beef into a round disc, then frying or gri

1.名詞A1
釋義

a food made by forming finely chopped beef into a round disc, then frying or grilling it and placing it inside a soft bread bun that has been cut open, often with added vegetables, cheese, or sauces.

例句

Gita ordered a hamburger with cheese and lettuce for lunch.

countable: order + a hamburger + with [ingredient]

The children shared a hamburger and some fries at the party.

同義詞
  • burger

    informal short form; can refer to any type of patty, not just beef

  • patty

    refers only to the meat portion, not the whole sandwich

文法句型

a hamburger

hamburger + with [ingredient]

用法筆記

You can shorten hamburger to burger in informal conversation — 'Want to grab a burger for dinner?' However, burger may also refer to patties made from chicken, beans, or vegetables, while hamburger specifically means beef.

常見錯誤

❌I ate a ham-burger made of ham.
✅A hamburger is made of beef, not ham.
💡The name comes from Hamburg, Germany, not from the word 'ham.'

2. beef sold in raw form after being processed by a meat grinder into a fine, soft

2.名詞A2
釋義

beef sold in raw form after being processed by a meat grinder into a fine, soft mixture, typically used as the base for making hamburgers, meatballs, sauces, and other cooked dishes.

例句

Jenna bought a packet of hamburger to make meatballs for dinner.

uncountable: a packet of hamburger + make [dish]

You can use fresh hamburger instead of chicken in this recipe.

同義詞
  • ground beef

    more common term in American English for raw minced beef

  • mince

    common term in British English; can refer to other meats too

文法句型

some hamburger

hamburger + [verb]

[quantity] of hamburger

用法筆記

In this sense hamburger is uncountable — you cannot say 'two hamburgers' to mean two portions of mince. For the sandwich meaning (sense 1), it IS countable. In American English, ground beef is the more common term; hamburger in this sense is slightly informal.

常見錯誤

❌I bought two hamburgers from the butcher.' (if meaning two packs of mince).
✅I bought some hamburger from the butcher.
💡Use some or a quantity word like a packet of / a kilo of for the uncountable sense.

3. a small symbol made of three short parallel lines on a computer screen, tablet,

3.名詞B1
釋義

a small symbol made of three short parallel lines on a computer screen, tablet, or phone display, which you tap or click to open a list of options such as settings, pages, or links within an app or website.

例句

Hao tapped the hamburger icon in the corner to open the settings.

hamburger icon + tap + location (corner) + purpose (settings)

The hamburger menu on that website shows links to all pages.

同義詞
  • menu icon

    more formal and descriptive, understood by all users

  • three-line menu

    descriptive name that avoids the food metaphor

文法句型

hamburger icon + [verb]

the hamburger + [noun]

用法筆記

This meaning is informal jargon used mainly in web and app design. Non-technical speakers may not understand the term. In formal writing or user instructions, describe the symbol instead: 'the icon with three horizontal lines.'

常見錯誤

❌Click the hamburger.' (ambiguous — sounds like food).
✅Click the hamburger icon.
💡Always include icon or symbol to avoid confusion with the food sense.

4. a type of road crossing where a straight main road goes through the centre of a

4.名詞C1
釋義

a type of road crossing where a straight main road goes through the centre of a roundabout, so that traffic travelling straight ahead does not have to go around the circle, while vehicles turning left or right use the roundabout to change direction.

例句

The driver slowed down as he approached the hamburger junction.

Engineers designed a hamburger roundabout to improve traffic flow.

hamburger roundabout + design + purpose (traffic flow)

同義詞

文法句型

hamburger junction + [verb]

a hamburger + [noun] (modifier)

用法筆記

This is a highly specialised term used mainly by traffic engineers and urban planners in the UK. Most drivers would describe the layout rather than use this name. Do not use it in general conversation.