tupelo

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Tu·pe·lo

 (to͞o′pə-lō′, tyo͞o′-)
A city of northeast Mississippi north-northwest of Jackson. It was the site of a Civil War battle (July 14, 1864) in which Union forces defeated the Confederate troops led by Gen. Nathan B. Forrest.

tu·pe·lo

 (to͞o′pə-lō′, tyo͞o′-)
n. pl. tu·pe·los
1. Any of several trees of the genus Nyssa of Asia and the eastern United States, having simple alternate leaves and small flowers.
2. The light wood of any of these trees.

[Probably Creek 'topilwa : íto, tree + opílwa, swamp.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tupelo

(ˈtjuːpɪˌləʊ)
n, pl -los
1. (Plants) any of several cornaceous trees of the genus Nyssa, esp N. aquatica, a large tree of deep swamps and rivers of the southern US
2. (Forestry) the light strong wood of any of these trees
[C18: from Creek ito opilwa, from ito tree + opilwa swamp]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tu•pe•lo

(ˈtu pəˌloʊ, ˈtyu-)

n., pl. -los.
any North American swamp tree of the genus Nyssa, family Nyssaceae, having ovate leaves, berrylike fruit, and a soft, light wood with a variety of commercial uses.
[1720–30; perhaps < Creek *'topilwa literally, swamp tree]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.tupelo - pale soft wood of a tupelo tree especially the water gumtupelo - pale soft wood of a tupelo tree especially the water gum
tupelo tree, tupelo - any of several gum trees of swampy areas of North America
wood - the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
2.tupelo - any of several gum trees of swampy areas of North Americatupelo - any of several gum trees of swampy areas of North America
gum tree, gum - any of various trees of the genera Eucalyptus or Liquidambar or Nyssa that are sources of gum
genus Nyssa, Nyssa - tupelos: deciduous trees of moist habitats especially swamps and beside ponds
Nyssa aquatica, water gum - columnar swamp tree of southeastern to midwestern North America yielding pale soft easily worked wood
black gum, Nyssa sylvatica, pepperidge, sour gum - columnar tree of eastern North America having horizontal limbs and small leaves that emerge late in spring and have brilliant color in early fall
tupelo - pale soft wood of a tupelo tree especially the water gum
3.tupelo - a town in northeast MississippiTupelo - a town in northeast Mississippi  
Magnolia State, Mississippi, MS - a state in the Deep South on the gulf of Mexico; one of the Confederate States during the American Civil War
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
Favored as ornamental trees, tupelos are native to eastern North America, but are popular around the world in temperate climates, primarily for the leaves' exceptional fall color--mostly red and some golden.
Tupelos of the Nyssa sylvatica ("of the forest") species are also known as black gum, sour gum, black tupelo, bowl gum, pepperidge, stinkwood, wild peartree, ogeechee tupelo, gopher plum, ogeechee plum and yellow gum.
Despite its many names, wood from the various tupelos is said to be very similar in appearance and properties.
"I love being able to walk to work, or to walk to the bank or to a restaurant," says Rhea, whose home and studio are a block apart in downtown Tupelo. "Whatever I need to do, I can do it here."
In 2007, a half-dozen new businesses opened in or relocated to Tupelo's downtown, and its transformation continues with the redevelopment of the city's former fairgrounds into a mixed-use extension of downtown.
For example, the champion black tupelo grows in Wood County, near the western edge of its range, which extends east to Florida and Maine.
The standout is the black tupelo, which also has the distinction of being the third largest champ in Texas.
The 24,600-acre wilderness area in North Florida's Apalachicola National Forest features two national co-champion Ogeechee tupelo trees (Nyssa ogeche) along with huge slash pine, pond cypress, and swamp tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica var.
In 1993, two national co-champion Ogeechee tupelo trees were verified in Bradwell Bay by Robert Simons, Daniel Ward, Dale Allen, and Gary Hegg.