gopher
/ˈgəʊfə(r)/noun
1
- （亦作pocket gopher）a burrowing rodent with fur-lined pouches on the outside of the cheeks, found in North and Central America（北美产的一种掘地啮齿动物）囊颊兽, （北美和中美洲产的）一种地鼠, 金花鼠。
1.1
- Family Geomyidae: several genera and species.囊鼠科：数属, 数种。
1.2
- informal North American term for GROUND SQUIRREL.〈非正式, 北美〉同GROUND SQUIRREL.
2
- （亦作gopher tortoise）a tortoise of dry sandy regions that excavates tunnels as shelter from the sun, native to the southern US穴居的沙龟（产于美国南部）。
2.1
- Gopherus polyphemus, family Testudinidae.拉丁名 Gopherus polyphemus,龟科。
2.2
- usu. as modifier N. Amer. any of a number of reptiles and amphibians that enter burrows〈北美〉任何穴居的爬行动物, 两栖动物。
3
- （亦作Gopher）Computing a menu-based system which allows users of the Internet to search for and retrieve documents on topics of interest【计算机】黄鼠工具。
- ORIGIN: 1990s: named after the gopher mascot of the University of Minnesota, US, where the system was invented.
词源
late 18th cent.: perhaps from Canadian French gaufre 'honeycomb' （because the gopher'honeycombs' the ground with its burrows）.