loofah

[ loo-fuh ]

noun
  1. 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.

  2. 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.

Origin of loofah

1
First recorded in 1860–65; from New Latin Luffa the genus, from Arabic lūf
  • Also loo·fa, luf·fa .

Words Nearby loofah

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use loofah in a sentence

  • 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.

  • Eleanor is the roughest and toughest loofah that was ever known.

    Poor Relations | Compton Mackenzie

British Dictionary definitions for loofah

loofah

/ (ˈluːfə) /


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

  2. another name for dishcloth gourd

Origin of loofah

1
C19: from New Latin luffa, from Arabic lūf
  • Also called (esp US): loofa, luffa

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