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

These include over 140 species traditionally used by the Chumash, such as tule grass for matting and thatching houses, and elderberries for crafting whistles and bows. —Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 June 2024

The Central Valley historically had about 4 million acres of wetlands and riparian areas, forming a vast watery mosaic of marshes, vernal pools, rivers in braided channels and lakes fringed with tules and forests. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024

The lake and its extensive wetlands once teemed with fish, birds, beavers and frogs, and the people who lived on its shores built rafts out of tules and fished with basket traps. —Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023

Farmworkers in California's Central Valley know that when the tule fog settles over the ground after a heavy rain, some of them are about to get sick. —Ashli Blow, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Nahuatl tōllin

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tule

• tule elk