gopher turtle
- noun
- /ˈɡoʊfər ˈtɜːrtəl/
- US
- The gopher turtle creates extensive burrows that provide shelter for many other animal species.
Examples
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It is illegal to disturb or relocate a gopher turtle in some southeastern states.
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A gopher turtle can live for more than 40 years in its natural habitat.
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The gopher turtle is a fascinating creature.
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Many gopher turtles dig extensive burrows.
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The gopher turtle creates extensive burrows that provide shelter for many other animal species.
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It is illegal to disturb or relocate a gopher turtle in some southeastern states.
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A gopher turtle can live for more than 40 years in its natural habitat.
Synonyms
41
1.2
A slow land animal with a hard domed shell and thick legs that eats plants
1
7.1
A large land turtle that digs deep burrows in the south of the United States
1
9.9
A burrowing land tortoise from the southeastern United States that makes large burrows and shelters other animals
1
8.9
A large land turtle that digs burrows and lives in them
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'gopher turtle' is a transparent descriptive compound: combining 'gopher' (a burrowing animal) with 'turtle' (a shelled reptile) directly yields the idea of a turtle associated with burrowing, i.e., a large burrowing land tortoise. This is a non-idiomatic, literal animal name pattern common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Gopher turtle gets its name from the animal's habit of digging large burrows, because people thought of it as a gopher, a digging animal, that is also a turtle. That's why the name points to a 'burrowing land tortoise' that makes long underground homes.