Adjacent Words

gopher definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a zealously energetic person (especially a salesman) [syn: goffer, gopher]
2: a native or resident of Minnesota [syn: Minnesotan, Gopher]
3: any of various terrestrial burrowing rodents of Old and New Worlds; often destroy crops [syn: ground squirrel, gopher, spermophile]
4: burrowing rodent of the family Geomyidae having large external cheek pouches; of Central America and southwestern North America [syn: gopher, pocket gopher, pouched rat]
5: burrowing edible land tortoise of southeastern North America [syn: gopher tortoise, gopher turtle, gopher, Gopherus polypemus]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1791 1. a burrowing land tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) of the southern United States; 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 United States 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 II. variant of gofer

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 (in full pocket gopher) any burrowing rodent of the family Geomyidae, native to N. America, having external cheek pouches and sharp front teeth. 2 a N. American ground squirrel. 3 a tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus, native to the southern US, that excavates tunnels as shelter from the sun. Phrases and idioms: gopher snake a cribo. Etymology: 18th c.: orig. uncert. 2. n. 1 Bibl. a tree from the wood of which Noah's ark was made. 2 (in full gopher-wood) a tree, Cladrastis lutea, yielding yellowish timber. Etymology: Heb. goper

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prairie Prai"rie, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They abound throughout the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies and the Rocky mountains. From the forests and the prairies, From the great lakes of the northland. --Longfellow. 2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called natural meadow. Prairie chicken (Zo["o]l.), any American grouse of the genus Tympanuchus, especially T. Americanus (formerly T. cupido), which inhabits the prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the sharp-tailed grouse. Prairie clover (Bot.), any plant of the leguminous genus Petalostemon, having small rosy or white flowers in dense terminal heads or spikes. Several species occur in the prairies of the United States. Prairie dock (Bot.), a coarse composite plant (Silphium terebinthaceum) with large rough leaves and yellow flowers, found in the Western prairies. Prairie dog (Zo["o]l.), a small American rodent (Cynomys Ludovicianus) allied to the marmots. It inhabits the plains west of the Mississippi. The prairie dogs burrow in the ground in large warrens, and have a sharp bark like that of a dog. Called also prairie marmot. Prairie grouse. Same as Prairie chicken, above. Prairie hare (Zo["o]l.), a large long-eared Western hare (Lepus campestris). See Jack rabbit, under 2d Jack. Prairie hawk, Prairie falcon (Zo["o]l.), a falcon of Western North America (Falco Mexicanus). The upper parts are brown. The tail has transverse bands of white; the under parts, longitudinal streaks and spots of brown. Prairie hen. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Prairie chicken, above. Prairie itch (Med.), an affection of the skin attended with intense itching, which is observed in the Northern and Western United States; -- also called swamp itch, winter itch. Prairie marmot. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Prairie dog, above. Prairie mole (Zo["o]l.), a large American mole (Scalops argentatus), native of the Western prairies. Prairie pigeon, plover, or snipe (Zo["o]l.), the upland plover. See Plover, n., 2. Prairie rattlesnake (Zo["o]l.), the massasauga. Prairie snake (Zo["o]l.), a large harmless American snake (Masticophis flavigularis). It is pale yellow, tinged with brown above. Prairie squirrel (Zo["o]l.), any American ground squirrel of the genus Spermophilus, inhabiting prairies; -- called also gopher. Prairie turnip (Bot.), the edible turnip-shaped farinaceous root of a leguminous plant (Psoralea esculenta) of the Upper Missouri region; also, the plant itself. Called also pomme blanche, and pomme de prairie. Prairie warbler (Zo["o]l.), a bright-colored American warbler (Dendroica discolor). The back is olive yellow, with a group of reddish spots in the middle; the under parts and the parts around the eyes are bright yellow; the sides of the throat and spots along the sides, black; three outer tail feathers partly white. Prairie wolf. (Zo["o]l.) See Coyote.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gopher Go"pher, n. [F. gaufre waffle, honeycomb. See Gauffer.] (Zo["o]l.) 1. One of several North American burrowing rodents of the genera Geomys and Thomomys, of the family Geomyid[ae]; -- called also pocket gopher and pouched rat. See Pocket gopher, and Tucan. Note: The name was originally given by French settlers to many burrowing rodents, from their honeycombing the earth. 2. One of several western American species of the genus Spermophilus, of the family Sciurid[ae]; as, the gray gopher (Spermophilus Franklini) and the striped gopher (S. tridecemlineatus); -- called also striped prairie squirrel, leopard marmot, and leopard spermophile. See Spermophile. 3. A large land tortoise (Testudo Carilina) of the Southern United States, which makes extensive burrows. 4. A large burrowing snake (Spilotes Couperi) of the Southern United States. Gopher drift (Mining), an irregular prospecting drift, following or seeking the ore without regard to regular grade or section. --Raymond.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(gophers) 1. A gopher is a small animal which looks a bit like a rat and lives in holes in the ground. Gophers are found in Canada and the USA. N-COUNT 2. In computing, Gopher is a program that collects information for you from many databases across the Internet. N-PROPER; also N-COUNT

Easton's Bible Dictionary

a tree from the wood of which Noah was directed to build the ark (Gen. 6:14). It is mentioned only there. The LXX. render this word by "squared beams," and the Vulgate by "planed wood." Other versions have rendered it "pine" and "cedar;" but the weight of authority is in favour of understanding by it the cypress tree, which grows abundantly in Chaldea and Armenia.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Mulo, pouched rat (Pseudostoma bursarius or Geomys bursarius). 2. Prairie squirrel.