noun
1. or tulip poplar : a tall No. American timber tree ( Liriodendron tulipifera ) having truncate somewhat lobed leaves, large greenish yellow flowers that resemble tulips, and soft white wood that is much used especially for cabinetwork and woodenware — see tree illustration
2. : any of various trees with tulip-shaped flowers: as
a. : majagua a
b. : portia tree
c. : banana shrub
d. Australia
(1) : waratah
(2) : an evergreen tree ( Lagunaria pattersonii ) of the family Malvaceae with large solitary axillary rosy pink flowers