yew

yew

noun \ˈyü\

Definition of YEW

1

a : 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: as (1) : a long-lived Eurasian tree or shrub (T. baccata) —called also English yew (2) : a low straggling bush (T. canadensis) of the eastern United States and Canada (3) : pacific yew b : the wood of a yew; especially : the heavy fine-grained wood of the English yew

2

archaic : an archery bow made of yew

Examples of YEW

1. a bow made of yew

Illustration of YEW

Origin of YEW

Middle English ew, from Old English īw; akin to Old High German īwa yew, Middle Irish eó

First Known Use: before 12th century

Other Seed Plant Terms

aubergine, box, bramble, briar, composite, perpetual, pulse, trefoil

Rhymes with YEW

blue, boo, brew, chew, clew, clue, coo, coup, crew, cue, dew, do, doux, due, ewe, few, flu, flue, fou, glue, gnu, goo, hew, hue, Jew, Koo, lieu, loo, mew, moo, moue, mu, new, nu, ooh, pew, phew, pooh, q, queue, roux, rue, screw, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skew, slew, slough, slue, smew, sou, sous, spew, sprue, stew, strew, sue, Sue, thew, through, to, too, true, two, u, view, whew, who, woo, xu, you, zoo