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.
At a busy Beirut centre, migrant volunteers stirred pots of okra soup and shaped balls of the African staple fufu, keeping food coming for those caught between the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
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
The “Landman” star said the key for good fried okra is to use cornmeal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026
Her Swiss chard and okra stew makes a delicious main course served over polenta, while her coconut fish curry evokes the country’s long coast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
Nhamo found papayas, okra, chilies, onions, and peanuts as well.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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.
