loofah

noun loo·fah \ˈlü-fə\

: a rough sponge that is made from the dried fruit of a tropical plant and that people use to wash their bodies

Full Definition of LOOFAH

: any of a genus (Luffa) of Old World tropical plants of the gourd family with large fruits; also : its fruit

: a sponge consisting of the fibrous skeleton of the fruit of a loofah (especially Luffa aegyptiaca)

See loofah defined for English-language learners

See loofah defined for kids

loo·fah also luf·fa \ˈlü-fə\

New Latin luffa, from Arabic lūf

First Known Use: 1887

Next Word in the Dictionary: look (verb)Previous Word in the Dictionary: loofAll Words Near: loofah

What made you want to look up loofah? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Put-downs with flair

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

Test your vocab with our fun, fast game

Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears