tule

American  

[too-lee, too-le] / ˈtu li, ˈtu lɛ /

noun

plural

tules

1. either of two large bulrushes, Scirpus lacustris or S. acutus, found in California and adjacent regions in inundated lands and marshes.

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Etymology

Origin of tule

1830–40, < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl tōlin

Example Sentences

This tule fog upended that trend, thanks to the exceptional fall weather conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

But tule fog is proving beneficial for farms themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Before and during this 16-day stretch, some areas in this region have seen thick, dangerously opaque tule fog form briefly, slashing visibility to virtually zero.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

We take a look at the source of dense tule fog and the factors that are causing people in California’s great Central Valley to see a little less of it.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025

The bank of the river still has some oak trees, but from here downward the tule swamps begin again.

From Colonial Expeditions to the Interior of California Central Valley, 1800-1820 Anthropological Records 16(6):239-292, 1958 by Cook, Sherburne Friend