tulip tree

noun

1
: a tall North American timber tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) of the magnolia family having large greenish-yellow tulip-shaped flowers and soft white wood used especially for cabinetwork and woodenware

called also tulip poplar, yellow poplar

2
: any of various trees other than the tulip tree with tulip-shaped flowers

Examples of tulip tree in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Indiana Department of Natural Resources suggests looking for morels near dead elms, tulip trees and in beech-maple forests. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024 Its aspens are growing at twice the speed normally expected, with fragrant sumac and tulip trees racing to catch up. Cara Buckley, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2023 By his observation, leaves on the trees in the Metroparks started changing color right on time, and the many native species, including black gum, sugar maple, tulip tree, black walnut, American beech and various oaks hit their collective peak around Oct. 18, only a day or so later than usual. Peter Krouse, cleveland, 11 Nov. 2021 Indiana Indiana's state tree is the tulip tree. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2023 The first trees chosen for the project were shagbark hickory, tulip trees, sassafras, black tupelo, hackberry and swamp white oak. Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 27 Feb. 2023 They’re also being planted alongside native trees like sweet gum, tulip trees and bald cypress, to avoid genetically identical stands of trees known as monocultures; non-engineered poplars are being planted as experimental controls. Gabriel Popkin Audra Melton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2023 Between anonymous glass office buildings and tidy single-story houses, there were huge expanses of open space: a flock of ibises screeched from an enormous tulip tree; an African spoonbill waded on fuchsia legs along the edges of a muddy river; birds of prey circled above me, riding thermals. Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022 The list of tree species going in on Eaton and W. 214th Street includes goldenrain, American hornbeam, autumn fire hornbeam to frontier hybrid elm, thornless cockspur hawthorn, scotch pine, swamp white oak, bald cypress, green vase zelkova, heritage birch tree form and tulip tree. John Benson, cleveland, 30 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tulip tree.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tulip tree was in 1705

Dictionary Entries Near tulip tree

Cite this Entry

“Tulip tree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tulip%20tree. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tulip tree

noun
: a tall North American timber tree related to the magnolias and having large greenish yellow tulip-shaped flowers and soft white wood used especially for cabinetwork

More from Merriam-Webster on tulip tree

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!