gopher

¹

[ goh-fer ]

noun

1. any of several ground squirrels of the genus Citellus, of the prairie regions of North America.
2. pocket gopher.
3. gopher tortoise.
4. gopher snake.
5. Gopher, a native or inhabitant of Minnesota (used as a nickname).
6. Gopher, Computers.
   1. a protocol for a menu-based system of accessing documents on the internet.
   2. any program that implements this protocol.

verb (used without object)

1. Mining.
   1. to mine unsystematically.
   2. to enlarge a hole, as in loose soil, with successively larger blasts.

gopher

²

[ goh-fer ]

noun

Slang.

1. gofer.

gopher

/ ˈɡəʊfə /

noun

1. Also calledpocket gopher any burrowing rodent of the family Geomyidae, of North and Central America, having a thickset body, short legs, and cheek pouches
2. another name for ground squirrel
3. any burrowing tortoise of the genus Gopherus, of SE North America
4. gopher snake
   another name for bull snake

Word History and Origins

Origin of gopher¹

First recorded in 1785–95; earlier megopher, magopher “gopher tortoise”; of obscure origin; spelling copies gopher wood

Origin of gopher²

First recorded in 1925–30; respelling of gofer by association with gopher ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of gopher¹

C19: shortened from earlier megopher or magopher, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

They look like a cross between an otter and a gopher but they taste something like a rabbit or dark meat from turkey.

From Los Angeles Times

During the summers, I interned with the animation department as a gopher.

From Los Angeles Times

“Gopher Broke” by Jeff Fowler and Tim Miller looked at the frustration of a hungry, ambitious gopher; it was their first and so far only nomination.

From Los Angeles Times

Its two baseball fields were so pockmarked by gopher holes that even walking over them was difficult.

From Los Angeles Times

Downtown's Pershing Square supports mourning doves, Vaux's swifts, gopher snakes and exotic streaktails, a type of fly that feeds on aphids.

From Science Daily