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
On okra, he nets 30 pesos per kilogram.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
The “Landman” star said the key for good fried okra is to use cornmeal.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
"We would be growing tomatoes, potatoes, cabbages and okra and then – at the end of the season – they would push it all into a big hole and bury it," he added.
From BBC • May 17, 2025
Bowls full of side dishes adorn the table: okra, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, greens, homemade bread.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
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.
