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gopher
1[ goh-fer ]
noun
- any of several ground squirrels of the genus Citellus, of the prairie regions of North America.
- Gopher, a native or inhabitant of Minnesota (used as a nickname).
- Gopher, Computers.
- a protocol for a menu-based system of accessing documents on the internet.
- any program that implements this protocol.
verb (used without object)
- Mining.
- to mine unsystematically.
- to enlarge a hole, as in loose soil, with successively larger blasts.
gopher
2[ goh-fer ]
noun
gopher
/ ˈɡəʊfə /
noun
- Also calledpocket gopher any burrowing rodent of the family Geomyidae, of North and Central America, having a thickset body, short legs, and cheek pouches
- See ground squirrelanother name for ground squirrel
- any burrowing tortoise of the genus Gopherus, of SE North America
- See bull snakegopher snakegopher snake another name for bull snake
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Word History and Origins
Origin of gopher1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of gopher1
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Example Sentences
His seedlings baked in the sun, or were eaten by gophers, rabbits and rodents.
If gophers do purposely aid the growth of food in this way, it might count as a simple type of farming.
What qualifies the gophers as farmers and sets them apart from, say, cattle … is that gophers cultivate and maintain this ideal environment for roots to grow.
Tunnel digging takes a lot of energy — up to 3,400 times as much as walking along the surface for gophers.
The pair took root samples from soil adjacent to 12 gopher tunnels and extrapolated how much root mass a gopher would encounter as it excavated a meter of tunnel.
The critters resemble the gopher from Caddyshack… if it had rabies.
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
Ivanpah, which is 3,500 acres, ran into trouble a while ago when endangered desert gopher tortoises were found on the site.
Not to mention Al Franken, Sonny Bono, Jesse Ventura, and Fred Grandy, who played Gopher on The Love Boat.
I wudden't be surprised to know that a bear had a tillyphone in his room, an' that th' gopher complained iv his gas bills.
"It's my idea that the gopher isn't in here at all," announced Curley, with emphasis.
Why, you could have knocked me down with the kick of a gopher I was so dumfounded!
In the east there is White Gopher, who gnaws with his strong teeth.
"The gopher'll do it, too; he's a clumsy lout," he answered, referring to Stacy in a withering tone.
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More About Gopher
What does gopher mean?
A gopher is a small rodent native to North and Central America that burrows tunnels and has large cheek pouches, as in I saw a gopher digging a burrow by the road.
The term gopher is commonly used to refer to pocket gophers, burrowing rodents of the Geomyidae family. Gophers are well-known for their ability to dig underground burrows, where they spend most of their time. Gophers are solitary herbivores, feeding on plant roots. Because their digging can damage property and their feeding can damage gardens, gophers are often considered pests.
Gophers are often associated with the state of Minnesota and the term is often used as a nickname for people who live there.
Less commonly, gopher can also refer to several species of ground squirrels, gopher tortoises, or gopher snakes.
Example: We are trying to keep the gophers from eating our flower garden.
Where does gopher come from?
The first records of gopher come from around 1785. It is a shortening of megopher, which refers to the gopher tortoise.
Gophers are commonly found in the United States and are most likely to be encountered by gardeners or farmers who will not be thrilled to see them.
In popular culture, the most famous gopher is most likely the character Gopher from Disney’s Winnie-the-Pooh franchise. Gopher is a Disney creation. He was not present in the books written by A. A. Milne, which Disney licensed for its own stories.
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What are some other forms related to gopher?
- gophers (plural noun)
What are some synonyms for gopher?
What are some words that share a root or word element with gopher?
What are some words that often get used in discussing gopher?
How is gopher used in real life?
Gophers are a common animal that are well known for their digging abilities.
I just saw a gopher run across the road. Does that mean spring is here?
— Elaine (@elamcl) March 6, 2020
My grandparents been hunting the gopher in their garden all summer but have yet to catch him😂 gonna have to snipe him out
— BUD🍂 (@StClaire_15) August 19, 2019
I'm constantly tripping over gopher holes. I feel so much like Alice in Wonderland.
— _JustMarie (@mooseandriosmom) December 17, 2019
Try using gopher!
True or False?
Gophers are a type of rodent that digs underground burrows.
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