: any of a genus (Taxus of the family Taxaceae, the yew family) of evergreen gymnospermous trees and shrubs with stiff linear leaves and seeds surrounded by a fleshy red aril: such as
(1)
: a long-lived Eurasian tree or shrub (T. baccata)
called alsoEnglish yew
(2)
: a low straggling bush (T. canadensis) of the eastern U.S. and Canada
especially: the heavy fine-grained wood of the English yew
2
archaic: an archery bow made of yew
Illustration of yew
yew 1a
Examples of yew in a Sentence
a bow made of yew
Recent Examples on the WebNone of these species are super fast-growing, but boxwoods and the upright yew varieties are among the slowest.—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024 For shrubs, consider yew, mahonia, boxwood, and gardenias.—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024 The pool was expected to have an apple or rose walk, a yew hedge, and a vegetable garden.—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 27 Mar. 2024 Some unusual trees include the Chinese fringe tree, Chinese pistachio and Japanese plum yew.—Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 The crow is on a branch of the yew tree, cocking its head and holding something on one side of its beak, as if to peer at it with the left eye.—Anne Carson, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024 The church tower came into view and Mr. O’Shea turned in to a churchyard bordered by cypress and yew trees.—Mary Costello, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023 However, the best-selling cancer drug of all time, Taxol, is a natural product made from yew tree extract.—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 29 Aug. 2023 It is thought that the yew was used to create longbows for his royal archers in the lead-up to the Battle of Bannockburn.—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 7 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yew.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English ew, from Old English īw; akin to Old High German īwa yew, Middle Irish eó
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of yew was
before the 12th century
: any of a genus (Taxus of the family Taxaceae, the yew family) of evergreen trees and shrubs with stiff linear leaves and seeds surrounded by a fleshy red aril
especially: one (T. brevifolia) of the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada whose bark yields the antineoplastic drug paclitaxel
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