okra
Americannoun
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a shrub, Abelmoschus esculentus, of the mallow family, bearing beaked pods.
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the pods, used in soups, stews, etc.
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a dish made with the pods.
noun
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Also called: ladies' fingers. an annual malvaceous plant, Hibiscus esculentus, of the Old World tropics, with yellow-and-red flowers and edible oblong sticky green pods
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the pod of this plant, eaten in soups, stews, etc See also gumbo
Etymology
Origin of okra
First recorded in 1670–80; said to be of West African origin, though precise source unknown; compare Igbo ókùrù okra
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He told us tales of big brinjals, bright pumpkin flowers, sprite okra that grew in the farmland in what’s now Bangladesh, where he grew up.
From Salon ● May 9, 2026
Thornton made salmon and fried okra with spicy hummus with Hunter Fieri.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026
On the other hand, crops such as sunflower, durum wheat, soybean, chickpeas, lemon and okra could become more viable, particularly in southwestern England or near the Scottish coast.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
Atlanta-based entrepreneur Tamara Lucas recently started her own garden in her backyard to keep a lid on rising costs, growing okra, kale and broccoli to help feed her two teenage boys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025
After Ajarry’s death, Mabel assumed care of the yams and okra, whatever struck her fancy.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
