gopher

UK: /ˈgəʊfə^r/ US: /ˈgoʊfɚ/ ,'gopher', 'Gopher': (gō′fər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

go•pher¹ /ˈgoʊfɚ/   n. [countable]

1. Mammals a burrowing rodent having a stout body, a short tail, and external cheek pouches.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

go•pher¹  (gō′fər), n. 

1. Mammals any of several ground squirrels of the genus Citellus, of the prairie regions of North America.
2. Mammals See pocket gopher. 
3. Reptiles See gopher tortoise. 
4. Reptiles See gopher snake. 
5. (cap.) a native or inhabitant of Minnesota (used as a nickname).

v.i. 

6. [Mining.]
   • Mining to mine unsystematically.
   • Mining to enlarge a hole, as in loose soil, with successively larger blasts.

• 1785–95; earlier megopher, magopher gopher tortoise; of obscure origin, originally; spelling, spelled copies gopher wood

go•pher²  (gō′fər), n. [Slang.]

1. gofer.

• respelling, respelled of gofer by association with gopher¹ 1925–30

Go•pher  (gō′fər), n. 

1. Computing a protocol for a menu-based system of accessing documents on the Internet.
2. Computing any program that implements this protocol.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

gopher / ˈɡəʊfə/ noun

1. Also called: pocket 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

Etymology: 19th Century: shortened from earlier megopher or magopher, of obscure origin

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

Go•pher  (gō′fər), n. 

1. Computing a protocol for a menu-based system of accessing documents on the Internet.
2. Computing any program that implements this protocol.