What does cheeseburger mean?
A cheeseburger is a hamburger — a cooked ground-beef patty served in a sliced bread roll — that has been topped with a slice of cheese, which softens and melts over the hot patty. It is one of the most recognizable items in American fast food and casual dining, appearing on menus at diners, grills, and fast-food chains worldwide. The word combines "cheese" with "burger," itself a clipped form of "hamburger," and it functions as a countable noun with the standard plural "cheeseburgers." Common variations are indicated by modifiers such as "double" (two patties), "bacon," or "veggie." The term carries an informal, appetizing connotation, often evoking comfort food and casual meals rather than fine dining. Its cultural prominence makes it a staple of menus, advertising, and everyday conversation about food.
nounA hamburger topped with a slice of cheese, typically served in a bread roll.
- A hamburger served with a slice of cheese on top of the patty.
"He ordered a double cheeseburger and a side of fries."
"She bit into her cheeseburger as it came off the grill."
"The diner's signature dish is a bacon cheeseburger with caramelized onions."
Standard regular plural; used when referring to more than one cheeseburger.
"The restaurant sold hundreds of cheeseburgers over the weekend."
The cheeseburger was reportedly invented in the 1920s when a teenager named Lionel Sternberger experimentally dropped a slice of cheese onto a sizzling burger at his father's Pasadena sandwich stand.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cheeseburger
The word cheeseburger is a compound of "cheese," from Old English "cīese" (ultimately from Latin "caseus"), and "burger," a shortened form of "hamburger," which derives from Hamburg, Germany, by way of the "Hamburg steak." The compound arose in American English in the early twentieth century, with popular accounts crediting a 1920s California sandwich stand, though exact first attestation is uncertain. Related formations include "cheeseburger's" sibling compounds like "baconburger" and "veggie burger."
Usage notes
Informal, everyday register. Commonly modified by words like "double," "bacon," or "veggie." Universal in American English; well understood in British English.
Don't confuse with
A hamburger is a beef patty in a bun without cheese, whereas a cheeseburger adds a slice of melted cheese.