okra
Americannoun
-
a shrub, Abelmoschus esculentus, of the mallow family, bearing beaked pods.
-
the pods, used in soups, stews, etc.
-
a dish made with the pods.
noun
-
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
-
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 bought fresh okra from a roadside vendor and told his sister, "Go and have your bath. When you come back, we'll cook."
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
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
Thornton made salmon and fried okra with spicy hummus with Hunter Fieri.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026
She and a colleague planted tomatoes, watermelon, okra, red cabbage and onions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2025
And yet there she sat, in a chair right next to him, devouring a plate of greasy pork chops and fried okra.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
