Tupi

noun

Tu·​pi tü-ˈpē How to pronounce Tupi (audio)
ˈtü-(ˌ)pē
variants or less commonly Tupí
plural Tupi or Tupis also Tupí or Tupís
1
2
: a language family of lowland South America that includes Tupi-Guarani and the speech of a number of other peoples living mainly in Brazil south of the Amazon River
Tupian
tü-ˈpē-ən How to pronounce Tupi (audio)
ˈtü-(ˌ)pē-
adjective or noun

Examples of Tupi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The first books Europeans wrote about the Tupi portrayed them as practitioners of ritual cannibalism, and the Group of Five metaphorically repurposed that notion. Larry Rohter, The New York Review of Books, 14 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Tupi was in 1842

Dictionary Entries Near Tupi

Cite this Entry

“Tupi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tupi. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

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