▪ I. burger
(ˈbɜːgə(r))
A familiar shortening of hamburger. Also used as a terminal element, e.g. in beefburger, porkburger, etc., usu. denoting a roll, sandwich, etc., containing the foodstuff specified in the first element. orig. U.S.
| 1939 Amer. Speech XIV. 154. 1941 Word Study Nov. 7/1 A favorite broth of the word-brewers..forms like -burger, -krieg, -teria. 1946 Amer. Speech XXI. 88 Burger, hamburger sandwich. ‘Burger steak’ is hamburger steak. 1960 Observer 28 Feb. 13/4 Recently the Hamburger has become just a ‘burger’, and there are ‘beefburgers’, ‘chefburgers’, ‘cheeseburgers’, ‘eggburgers’ and even ‘kingburgers’. 1960 Guardian 10 Dec. 6/6 Lines of frozen food, such as fish, vegetables, steakburgers. 1966 T. Capote In Cold Blood ii. 72 ‘Perry, baby,’ Dick said, ‘you don't want that burger. I'll take it.’ Perry shoved the plate across the table. |
▸ burger van n. chiefly Brit. a van (fitted with a small cooking area and service hatch) which sells hamburgers and other takeaway food.
| 1981 Washington Post 21 Aug. (Weekend section) 1 Watching the baby chicks and a heifer named Bliss far from the fried-chicken and *burger vans. 2002 Evening Mail (Birmingham) (Electronic ed.) 14 Feb. Most concerns were over takeaways and mobile food sellers such as burger vans. |
▪ II. burger, -ship
see burgher, -ship.