gopher

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Any of various short-tailed, burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae of North America, having fur-lined external cheek pouches. Also called pocket gopher.
2. n. Any of various ground squirrels of the genus Citellus of North American prairies.
3. n. Any of several burrowing tortoises of the genus Gopherus, especially G. polyphemus of the southeast United States.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. One of the pouched rats or pocket-gophers, sundry species of the rodent family Geomyidœ and genera Geomys and Thomomys. See these words, and cut under Geomyidæ.
2. n. One of the spermophiles, burrowing squirrels, or ground-squirrels of the family Sciuridœ, subfamily Spermophilinœ, and genera Cynomys, Spermophilus, and Tamias. The animals of the genus Cynomys are prairie-dogs. (See prairie-dog.) The spermophiles are of numerous species in the western United States and Territories, such as S. 13-lineatus, S. franklini, S. richardsoni, etc. See cut under Spermophilus.
3. n. The Testudo (or Xerobates) carolina, a tortoise from 12 to 15 inches long, of gregarious nocturnal and fossorial habits, abundant in the southern Atlantic States. The burrows are dug to the depth of several feet. These tortoises lay eggs about as large as those of pigeons in hollows at the mouth of the burrow.
4. n. A snake, Spilote scouperi. Also called gopher snake.
5. n. In some parts of the southern United States, a plow.
6. n. A kind of waffle. See gofer.
7. In mining, to begin or carry on mining operations at haphazard, or on a small scale; mine without any reference to the possibility of future permanent development. Such mine-openings are frequently called gopher-holes and coyote-holes.

Wiktionary

1. n. A small burrowing rodent, especially in the family Geomyidae
2. n. The gopher tortoise
3. n. alternative spelling of gofer.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) One of several North American burrowing rodents of the genera Geomys and Thomomys, of the family Geomyidæ; -- called also pocket gopher and pouched rat. See pocket gopher, and tucan.
2. n. One of several western American species of the genus Spermophilus, of the family Sciuridæ; 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. n. A large land tortoise (Testudo Carilina) of the Southern United States, which makes extensive burrows.
4. n. A large burrowing snake (Spilotes Couperi) of the Southern United States.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. burrowing edible land tortoise of southeastern North America
2. n. burrowing rodent of the family Geomyidae having large external cheek pouches; of Central America and southwestern North America
3. n. any of various terrestrial burrowing rodents of Old and New Worlds; often destroy crops
4. n. a native or resident of Minnesota
5. n. a zealously energetic person (especially a salesman)