Main Entry:

yew

Pronunciation:

\ˈyü\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

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

Date:

before 12th century

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 yew2archaic : an archery bow made of yew

[yew illustration]