tupelo

¹

[ too-puh-loh, tyoo- ]

noun

, plural tu·pe·los.

1. any of several trees of the genus Nyssa, having ovate leaves, clusters of minute flowers, and purple, berrylike fruit, especially N. aquatica, of swampy regions of the eastern, southern, and midwestern U.S.
2. the soft, light wood of these trees.

Tupelo

²

[ too-puh-loh, tyoo- ]

noun

1. a city in NE Mississippi.

tupelo

/ ˈtjuːpɪˌləʊ /

noun

1. any of several cornaceous trees of the genus Nyssa , esp N. aquatica , a large tree of deep swamps and rivers of the southern US
2. the light strong wood of any of these trees

Word History and Origins

Origin of tupelo¹

1720–30, Americanism; perhaps < Creek *’topilwa literally, swamp tree (equivalent to íto tree + opílwa swamp)

Word History and Origins

Origin of tupelo¹

C18: from Creek ito opilwa , from ito tree + opilwa swamp

Example Sentences

Like a honey that has a lot of other stuff besides tupelo in it and cutting our pure tupelo with it.

From Salon

Fair Bluff is small-town idyllic, nestled among fields of corn and tobacco near the South Carolina border, shielded from the Lumber River by a narrow bank of tupelo gum, river birch and bald cypress trees.

From New York Times

A generation ago, Warren said, the black gum or tupelo was a native tree little grown in urban landscapes.

From Washington Post

These includes the most statuesque loblolly pine in the world, towering 167 feet above the surrounding tupelo forest.

From New York Times

“Do not plant Callery or Bradford pear. Instead, plant native alternatives, such as serviceberry, fringe tree, tupelo, or dogwood, among many others.”

From Washington Times