tupelo Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun pale soft wood of a tupelo tree especially the water gum
  2. noun any of several gum trees of swampy areas of North America
    tupelo tree.
  3. noun a town in northeast Mississippi

WordNet

Tu"pe*lo noun
Etymology
Tupelo, or tupebo, the native American Indian name.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A North American tree (Nyssa multiflora) of the Dogwood family, having brilliant, glossy foliage and acid red berries. The wood is crossgrained and very difficult to split. Called also black gum, sour gum, and pepperidge.

Webster 1913