tupelo

noun

tu·​pe·​lo ˈtü-pə-ˌlō 

ˈtyü-

plural tupelos

1

: any of a genus (Nyssa of the family Nyssaceae) of North American and Asian deciduous trees that have simple alternate leaves, small usually greenish-white dioecious flowers, and a rounded drupe

especially : black gum

2

: the pale soft wood of a tupelo

Examples of tupelo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its most common trees are water tupelos, bald cypresses and pond cypresses, usually draped in Spanish moss. — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026

Ranging from 40 to 70 feet at maturity, the tupelo is a deciduous native tree with a similar hardiness range to the serviceberry. — Campbell Vaughn, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026

Overhead some osprey, a hawk and a bald eagle glided among the nearby tupelo, sweet gum and oak-hackberry forest trees. — Ricky Carioti, Washington Post, 5 July 2024

Also called tupelo, black gum is a fast grower that doesn’t mind swampy areas. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 21 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Creek *topiló, from etó tree + piló:(fa), opiló:(fa) swamp

First Known Use

circa 1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tupelo

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Geographical Definition

Tupelo

geographical name

Tu·​pe·​lo ˈtü-pə-ˌlō 

ˈtyü-

city in northeastern Mississippi

Note: Singer Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo in 1935.