loofah

[ loo-fuh ]

/ ˈlu fə /

Save This Word!

noun

Also called dish·cloth gourd

[dish-klawth gawrd], /ˈdɪʃ klɔθ ˌgɔrd/, rag gourd

[rag-gawrd]. /ˈræg ˌgɔrd/.

any of several tropical vines of the genus Luffa, of the gourd family, bearing large, elongated fruit.
the fruit of such a vine.

Also called veg·e·ta·ble sponge

[vej-tuh-buhl spuhnj]. /ˈvɛdʒ tə bəl ˌspʌndʒ/. the dried, fibrous interior of this fruit, used as a sponge.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also loo·fa, luf·fa .

Origin of loofah

First recorded in 1860–65; from New Latin Luffa the genus, from Arabic lūf

Words nearby loofah

Lonsdale Belt, Lons-le-Saunier, loo, looby, loof, loofah, looie, look, look after, look a gift horse in the mouth, look-alike

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use loofah in a sentence

This is when you have to stand in the shower for a solid 30 minutes, as your nerves slowly come back to life from their cryogenic state, before even picking up the loofah and soap.
My 10 Best Post-Adventure Showers|aheard|July 26, 2021|Outside Online
It’s sort of like the brain is a loofah full of sudsy soap sitting in the middle of a tub and the waves are hands reaching out to squish it clean.
You get brainwashed whenever you go to sleep (and that’s a good thing)|PopSci Staff|March 17, 2021|Popular-Science
Once I step out of the shower, these towels act like a loofah, I can actually feel the moisture wicking off of my body every time I use them.
Find a More Absorbent Towel. I Dare You|Daniel Modlin|February 14, 2021|The Daily Beast
“Intercourse felt, often, like shoving a loofah into a mason jar,” she writes, for example.
Speed Read: Lena Dunham’s Most Shocking Confessions From ‘Not That Kind of Girl’|Kevin Fallon|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

She had found a loofah, two sponges and some cakes of soap elaborately arranged in a pattern on the bathroom floor.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 147, September 16, 1914|Various
So Leslie picked up her chum's rough towels, her loofah and her verbena-scented soap.
The Boy with Wings|Berta Ruck
It is devoid of any lining, and its texture puts one in mind of a loosely made loofah.
Birds of the Plains|Douglas Dewar
It weaves a nest which looks like a ragged loofah with a hole in the side.
A Bird Calendar for Northern India|Douglas Dewar
Eleanor is the roughest and toughest loofah that was ever known.
Poor Relations|Compton Mackenzie

British Dictionary definitions for loofah

loofah

/ (ˈluːfə) /

noun

the fibrous interior of the fruit of the dishcloth gourd, which is dried, bleached, and used as a bath sponge or for scrubbing

another name for dishcloth gourd

Also called (esp US): loofa, luffa

Word Origin for loofah

C19: from New Latin luffa, from Arabic lūf

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012