loofah

noun

loo·​fah ˈlü-fə How to pronounce loofah (audio)
variants or luffa
1
: any of a genus (Luffa) of Old World tropical plants of the gourd family with white to yellow flowers and large usually elongate fruits that are sometimes eaten as vegetables when immature
also : the fruit of a loofah
2
: a sponge consisting of the fibrous interior of the mature dried fruit of a loofah (especially Luffa aegyptiaca synonym L. cylindrica)

Examples of loofah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Once the dye is rinsed away, use body wash and a washcloth or loofah to remove excess petroleum jelly. Tracee Cornforth, Verywell Health, 1 Mar. 2024 Find it on Amazon Exfoliate With The Body Shop Bath Gloves Ditch the washcloth and loofah and get these bath gloves instead. Taylor Gumm, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2024 The storage hooks allow for hanging towels, loofahs, and other bath products. Barbara Bellesi Zito, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2024 There are four hooks included to hang off the shelf in any spot to hang loofahs or other stringed bathtime accessories. Nicole Pyles, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023 Break up with your loofah and grab the sonic-powered PMD Clean Pro. Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 26 Nov. 2023 The shelves are generously spaced to fit tall bottles, and there’s also a razor holder with hooks for loofah storage. Nicole Pyles, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023 These include: Luffa (or loofah), also known as sponge gourd or rag gourd Calabash, also known as bottle gourd Cushaw squash, also known as silver-seed gourd Blue hubbard squash Turban squash, also known as French turban These gourds are tasty and easy to cut into. Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2023 A bit more painful than scrubbing down with a loofah. Nick Canepa Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loofah.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin luffa, from Arabic lūf

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of loofah was in 1887

Dictionary Entries Near loofah

Cite this Entry

“Loofah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loofah. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

loofah

noun
loof·​ah
variants also luffa
ˈlü-fə
: any of various Old World tropical plants of the gourd family with large fruits
also : a sponge consisting of the fiber-containing skeleton of its fruit
Etymology

derived from Arabic lūf "loofah"

More from Merriam-Webster on loofah

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