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.
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
She and a colleague planted tomatoes, watermelon, okra, red cabbage and onions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2025
"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
Folks had already brought over more cakes and pies, and platters of fried chicken and ham, and their good china bowls full of string beans, butterbeans, okra, and tomatoes.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
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.
