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Definition of sponge gourd
sponge gourd
Plural:sponge gourds
• noun
1
The elongated, cylindrical fruit of a tropical vine of the genus Luffa (especially Luffa aegyptiaca) in the family Cucurbitaceae, which is harvested young and tender to be cooked as a green vegetable in Asian and African cuisines.
Example
"She sliced the tender young sponge gourd and stir-fried it with garlic and shrimp."
2
A fast-growing annual climbing vine of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), native to South and Southeast Asia, bearing yellow flowers and elongated fruits whose mature, dried fibrous interiors are used as natural bath and cleaning sponges.
Example
"The gardener trained the sponge gourd up a wooden trellis to keep the developing fruits off the damp soil."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for sponge gourd• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Sponge gourd. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/sponge%20gourd