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
Cite this Entry
“Gopher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gopher. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
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