Meanings
noungopher tortoise (plural gopher tortoises)
plural gopher tortoises
- Any of the species of the taxonomic genus Gopherus, which are burrowing tortoises of southern North America.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounburrowing edible land tortoise of southeastern North America
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
By surface analysis, gopher (“burrowing rodent”, compare translingual Gopherus) + tortoise.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 穴龜 /穴龟
- 穴龜 /穴龟 (xuéguī)individual of the genus Gopherus of tortoises
Dutch gopherschildpad
- gopherschildpadindividual of the genus Gopherus of tortoises
French gophère
- gophèreindividual of the genus Gopherus of tortoises
German Gopherschildkröte
- Gopherschildkröteindividual of the genus Gopherus of tortoises
Hungarian üregteknős
- üregteknősindividual of the genus Gopherus of tortoises
Russian го́фер
- го́фер (gófer)individual of the genus Gopherus of tortoises
Swedish goffersköldpadda
- goffersköldpaddaindividual of the genus Gopherus of tortoises
Ukrainian го́фер
- го́фер (hófer)individual of the genus Gopherus of tortoises
Cite this entry
APA
gopher tortoise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gopher%20tortoise
MLA
“gopher tortoise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gopher%20tortoise. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gopher tortoise,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gopher%20tortoise.
Source: gopher tortoise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.