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

Huge, black ants carry detritus into golf course-sized holes, and Delta tule peas and fire poppies splash the hills like purple-orange paint. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026

Tribal youths worked with elders to harvest tule — a stalky plant native to California’s wetlands — and use it to build traditional boats. —Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026

Meanwhile, there should be just enough wind in the Central Valley to break up the tule fog by late morning. —Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026

One of the most dangerous winter hazards in California’s Central Valley is tule fog, according to the NOAA's western region headquarters. —Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Nahuatl tōllin

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tule

• tule elk