spermophile Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of various terrestrial burrowing rodents of Old and New Worlds; often destroy crops
    gopher; ground squirrel.

WordNet

Sper"mo*phile noun
Etymology
Gr. a seed + loving, fond.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any ground squirrel of the genus Spermophilus; gopher. See Illust. under Gopher.

Webster 1913