gumbo Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of various fine-grained silty soils that become waxy and very sticky mud when saturated with water
    gumbo soil.
  2. noun 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
    okra; Abelmoschus esculentus; Hibiscus esculentus; lady's-finger; okra plant.
  3. noun long mucilaginous green pods; may be simmered or sauteed but used especially in soups and stews
    okra.
  4. noun a soup or stew thickened with okra pods

WordNet

Gum"bo noun
Etymology
Written aalso gombo.
Definitions
  1. A soup thickened with the mucilaginous pods of the okra; okra soup.
  2. The okra plant or its pods.

Webster 1913