gopher

noun (1)

go·pher | \ ˈgō-fər

Definition of gopher

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a burrowing land tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) of the southern U.S. broadly : any of several related land tortoises

— called also gopher tortoise

2a : 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

gopher

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

He is said to have sent a dead gopher to a publisher and attacked an ABC executive, breaking his pelvis. — Richard Sandomir, New York Times, "Harlan Ellison, Intensely Prolific Science Fiction Writer, Dies at 84," 29 June 2018 He is said to have sent a dead gopher to a publisher and attacked an ABC executive, breaking his pelvis. — Richard Sandomir, New York Times, "Harlan Ellison, Intensely Prolific Science Fiction Writer, Dies at 84," 29 June 2018 Rathmann loved watching the many animals, including ravens, deer and the occasional gopher, from the large porch. — Moises Velasquez-manoff, New York Times, "Can Dirt Save the Earth?," 18 Apr. 2018 He is said to have sent a dead gopher to a publisher and attacked an ABC executive, breaking his pelvis. — Richard Sandomir, New York Times, "Harlan Ellison, Intensely Prolific Science Fiction Writer, Dies at 84," 29 June 2018 One gopher looks at the camera, and starts screaming hysterically. — Connor Whittum, Billboard, "Ariana Grande's Epic 'God Is a Woman' Video, Decoded," 13 July 2018 He is said to have sent a dead gopher to a publisher and attacked an ABC executive, breaking his pelvis. — Richard Sandomir, BostonGlobe.com, "Harlan Ellison, pugnacious and prolific science fiction writer, dies at 84," 30 June 2018 The dusky gopher frog (Lithobates sevosus), found only in four locations in southern Mississippi, requires a specific habitat to survive. — David S. Rauf, Scientific American, "Clean Break: Kennedy Supreme Court Exit Could Upend Environmental Safeguards," 3 July 2018 According to biographer Nat Segaloff, who wrote A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison, Ellison made more than a few enemies in the entertainment business and once sent a dead gopher to a publishing house to get them to return his calls. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "Harlan Ellison Turned Star Trek Into Something More. Could It Happen Again?," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gopher.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.