yew

yew
1. noun /juː/
a) A species of coniferous tree, Taxus baccata, with dark-green flat needle-like leaves and seeds bearing red arils, native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia.

, 1786: To prevent a too great consumption of yew, bowyers were directed to make four bows of witch-hazel, ash or elm, to one of yew, and no person under seventeen years of age, unless possessed of moveables worth forty marks, of the son of parents having an estate of ten pounds per annum might shoot in an yew bow, under a penalty of 6s. 8d. — Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 37.

b) Any tree or shrub of the genus Taxus.
Syn: English yew, European yew
2. adjective /juː/
Made from the wood of the yew tree.

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  • Yew — may refer to:Botany*Any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus Taxus : **European Yew or Common Yew ( Taxus baccata ) **Pacific Yew or Western Yew ( Taxus brevifolia ) **Canadian Yew ( Taxus canadensis ) **Chinese Yew ( Taxus… …   Wikipedia

  • Yew — Yew, n. [OE. ew, AS. e[ o]w, [=i]w, eoh; akin to D. ijf, OHG. [=i]wa, [=i]ha, G. eibe, Icel. [=y]r; cf. Ir. iubhar, Gael. iubhar, iughar, W. yw, ywen, Lith. j[ e]va the black alder tree.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Bot.) An evergreen tree ({Taxus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Yew — ([=u]), a. Of or pertaining to yew trees; made of the wood of a yew tree; as, a yew whipstock. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Yew — Fondé en 2004, ce groupe liégeois d influence celtique a su conquérir un large public en ajoutant leur propre ingrédient à savoir une touche de rock, de blues ou encore de ska. Yew a déja plus de 100 concerts a son actif avec des prestations… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • yew —    Yew trees symbolize both death and immortality, being poisonous but long lived, and able to re root their branches to produce fresh saplings. Until the 18th century, their foliage was laid in coffins and graves at *funerals. The custom of… …   A Dictionary of English folklore

  • yew — (n.) O.E. iw, eow yew, from P.Gmc. *iwa /*iwo (Cf. M.Du. iwe, Du. ijf, O.H.G. iwa, Ger. Eibe, O.N. yr), from PIE *ei wo (Cf. O.Ir. eo, Welsh ywen yew ), perhaps a suffixed form of *ei reddish, motley, yel …   Etymology dictionary

  • yew — yew; yew·berry; yew·en; …   English syllables

  • yew — [yo͞o] n. [ME ew < OE iw, eow, akin to Ger eibe (OHG iwa) < IE * (e)iwā < base * ei , reddish > L uva, grape: orig. name because of color of the wood] 1. a) any of a genus (Taxus) of evergreen shrubs and trees of the yew family,… …   English World dictionary

  • Yew — ([=u]), v. i. See {Yaw}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • yew — yü n 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 esp one (T. brevifolia) of the Pacific coast of the U.S. and Canada whose bark… …   Medical dictionary

  • yew — [ ju ] noun count a tree with dark green leaves that produces a bright red fruit a. uncount the wood of a yew tree …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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