tule

noun

tu·​le ˈtü-lē 

plural tules

1

: any of various large bulrushes

especially : a tall sedge (Schoenoplectus acutus synonym Scirpus acutus) of North America that grows in dense stands along freshwater wetlands

The roots and seeds of tule, a reed that grows along shorelines and in the shallows, were eaten and the reeds themselves were used to make baskets, cord, sandals and clothing.

—Philip Kopper et al.

2

chiefly California : land on which tules are the dominant or characteristic native plant

—usually plural

This habitat is fed and flooded by Butte Creek and is defined by a matrix of marsh, tules, shallow waterways and uplands with oaks and willows.

—Tom Stienstra

Examples of tule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Concurrently, the pattern that has created tule fog in many areas of the region will hold on for at least a couple of more days as the new system develops, Canepa said. —Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 15 Dec. 2025

According to the National Weather Service, Central Valley's tule fog can appear exceptionally thick from October through to February. —Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

Area meteorologists are unsure if this year’s thick radiation fog — known regionally as tule fog — will disperse in time for the holidays, thanks to persistent weather patterns keeping the cloud layer firmly over the region. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 10 Dec. 2025

The event will focus on ocean knowledge of Indigenous people of Southern California and Baja and feature bird singing, storytelling, ethnobotany with native plants, hands-on activities such as tule boat making, and information from Indigenous cultural and educational organizations. —La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Nahuatl tōllin

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tule

• tule elk