gopher

1 of 2

noun (1)

go·​pher ˈgō-fər 

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

: gopher ball

Illustration of gopher

• gopher 2a

gopher

2 of 2

noun (2)

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

Noun

Others center around different animals, including cats, guinea pigs, gophers and beavers. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026

Animal lovers should keep an eye out for gopher tortoises, dolphins, and all kinds of birds (the park is located on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail). —Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026

The gophers that have made your back yard the Penn Station of the gopher world? —Broti Gupta, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026

And the couple made sure to select plants that wouldn’t lure rabbits or gophers that would eat them or attract too many bees. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gopher

• gopher ball
• gopher snake
• pocket gopher

Rhymes for gopher

• loafer

Kids Definition

gopher

noun

go·​pher

ˈgō-fər

1

: a burrowing land tortoise of the southern U.S.

2

a

: any of several burrowing American rodents with large cheek pouches

called also pocket gopher

b

: a small striped ground squirrel of the prairie region of the U.S.