1. A tall deciduous tree of the genus Nyssa with simple leaves and a kind of greenish-white flower later developing into  a round stone fruit: Tupelos can be found in North American and Asian swamps and rivers and well known varieties are the black gum and cotton gum trees.

Bill decided not to use tupelo for making a cabinet because the wood was too soft.

2. Etymology: American English, apparently borrowed from Algonquian (Cree) ito opilwa "swamp tree".