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

Huge, black ants carry detritus into golf course-sized holes, and Delta tule peas and fire poppies splash the hills like purple-orange paint. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026

Tribal youths worked with elders to harvest tule — a stalky plant native to California’s wetlands — and use it to build traditional boats. — Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026

One of the most dangerous winter hazards in California’s Central Valley is tule fog, according to the NOAA's western region headquarters. — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026

Meanwhile, there should be just enough wind in the Central Valley to break up the tule fog by late morning. — Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Nahuatl tōllin

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tule

• tule elk