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Definition of tupelo
tupelo
/ˈtuːpəloʊ/
tu · pe · lo
Plural:tupelos
tupelo Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
10
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
tupelo Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
North American Any of several deciduous trees of the genus Nyssa, native primarily to North America and parts of Asia, typically growing in swamps, wetlands, or moist soils.
Example
"The boat glided silently through the dark swamp water, passing between the thick, swollen trunks of ancient water tupelos."
2
North American The light, soft, and cross-grained wood of the tupelo tree, commonly used for making crates, boxes, and fine wood carvings.
Example
"The artisan preferred carving his highly detailed decoy ducks out of tupelo because of its fine grain and resistance to splitting."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for tupeloWord Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Muscogee (Creek) word 'ito-opilwa', meaning 'swamp tree', formed from 'ito' (tree) and 'opilwa' (swamp). It entered American English in the mid-18th century.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tupelo. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tupelo