: 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 WebHowever, 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 The cherry laurels look great, but the Japanese yews are struggling.—Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 14 Apr. 2023 The best woods include osage, Oregon yew, white ash, Southern red cedar, black walnut, black locust, apple, and mulberry.—Keith McCafferty, Field & Stream, 29 June 2023 The 800 or so yew trees were reportedly planted in the 14th century at the request of Robert the Bruce.—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 7 June 2023 Stop by the Bog Garden, where a trio of 600-year-old yew trees sits alongside a gently trickling waterfall.—Alex Schechter, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2023 Two thousand yew trees make up its winding paths.—Ingrid Rojas Contreras, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2023 My Japanese yew froze in February.—Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Nov. 2021 See More
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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