tepee

noun

te·​pee ˈtē-(ˌ)pē 

variants or teepee or tipi

plural tepees or teepees or tipis

: a conical tent usually consisting of skins and used especially by Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains

Illustration of tepee

Examples of tepee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And, yes, there’s a cute tepee in the corner. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026

How Marsden Hartley paved his way to abstraction with tepees and Native American symbols. —Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026

At the back of the peninsula, near a cluster of redwoods, stood a giant tepee, at least twenty feet high. —Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026

Located both inside and outside, comfortably outfitted tents—ranging from safari-style to tepees—provide a unique alternative to traditional hotel rooms. —Gwen McClure, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Dakota t^hípi, from t^hi- to dwell

First Known Use

1743, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tepee

• be
• bee
• bree
• cree
• fee
• flea
• flee
• free
• gee
• ghee
• glee
• he

Kids Definition

tepee

noun

te·​pee

variants or teepee also tipi

ˈtē-pē

: a cone-shaped tent usually of skins used as a home especially by Indigenous people of the Great Plains

Etymology

from t^hípi, a word in the language of the Dakotas meaning "a dwelling tent," from t^hí- "to dwell"