(n) tall coarse annual of Old World tropics widely cultivated in southern United States and West Indies for its long mucilaginous green pods used as basis for soups and stews; sometimes placed in genus Hibiscus, Syn. lady's-finger, gumbo, okra plant, Hibiscus esculentus, Abelmoschus esculentus
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53 Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)
n. [ Written also gombo. ] 1. A soup thickened with the mucilaginous pods of the okra; okra soup. Especially, A thick stew made with chicken (chicken gumbo), or seafood (seafood gumbo), thickened with okra or file, and also containing greens and often hot spices; it is particularly popular in Louisiana. [ 1913 Webster ]