Okra
/ˈoʊ.krə/noun
A plant and its edible green seed pods, used as a vegetable.
Did you know?The English word comes from West African languages, showing how everyday food words can preserve the routes of trade and cultural contact across the Atlantic world.
Etymological Timeline
West African languages
African
*nkruma / similar forms
“A local name for the edible pod/plant in West African usage”
17th Century
Igbo
ọ́kụ̀rụ̀ / related West African forms
“Name(s) for the plant or pod in regional African languages”
17th–18th Century
Portuguese
ocra
“A borrowing from African languages into European trade vocabulary”
18th Century
French
gombo
“Another West African loanword used for the same plant”
18th Century
English
okra
“The edible pod of the okra plant”
Modern English
English
okra
“A cultivated plant grown for its edible pods”