okra: see mallow mallow, common name for members of the Malvaceae, a family of herbs and shrubs distributed over most of the world and especially abundant in the American tropics. Tropical species sometimes grow as small trees.
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Herbaceous, hairy, annual plant (Hibiscus esculentus or Abelmoschus esculentus), of the mallow family, grown for its edible fruit. Okra leaves are deeply notched; flowers are yellow with a crimson centre. The fruit, or pod, is a tapering, 10-angled capsule 4–10 in. (10–25 cm) long. Only the tender, unripe fruit is eaten; it is prepared in a number of ways and is a defining ingredient of the gumbos of the southern U.S. Because of its large amount of mucilage (a gelatinous substance), okra is used to thicken broths. In some countries the seeds are used as a substitute for coffee.
okra
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okra
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Okra (Hibiscus esculentus, or Abelmoschus esculentus).
(credit: Derek Fell)
okra
1. an annual malvaceous plant, Hibiscus esculentus, of the Old World tropics, with yellow-and-red flowers and edible oblong sticky green pods
2. the pod of this plant, eaten in soups, stews, etc.
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