Illustration of gopher
- gopher 2a
1
: a burrowing land tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) of the southern U.S.
broadly
: any of several related land tortoises
called also gopher tortoise
2
a
: any of a family (Geomyidae) of burrowing rodents of western North America, Central America, and the southern U.S. that are the size of a large rat and have large cheek pouches opening beside the mouth
called also pocket gopher
b
: any of several small ground squirrels (genus Spermophilus) of the prairie region of North America
3
go·pher
less common spelling of gofer
informal
: an employee whose duties include running errands : lackey
Examples of gopher in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
As the tiny plants emerge, keep a sharp eye out for birds, gophers, snails and slugs who might find the seedlings tasty, Shepherd said.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
But before construction began in 2023, some 106 gopher tortoises – Georgia's state reptile – were collected and transported about 30 miles to the Fort Stewart Army base.
—John Riley, USA TODAY, 29 June 2024
The first sign of trouble bubbled up from gopher holes a stone’s throw from Stan Ledgerwood’s front door.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 2024
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Noun
Over four decades later, new soil samples taken from the same regions still indicated a better fungi and bacteria presence than the areas that did not host gophers.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
As the tiny plants emerge, keep a sharp eye out for birds, gophers, snails and slugs who might find the seedlings tasty, Shepherd said.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
But before construction began in 2023, some 106 gopher tortoises – Georgia's state reptile – were collected and transported about 30 miles to the Fort Stewart Army base.
—John Riley, USA TODAY, 29 June 2024
The first sign of trouble bubbled up from gopher holes a stone’s throw from Stan Ledgerwood’s front door.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for gopher
Dictionary Entries Near gopher
Cite this Entry
“Gopher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gopher. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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