yew

noun

ˈyü

: 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 also English yew

(2)

: a low straggling bush (T. canadensis) of the eastern U.S. and Canada

(3)

: pacific yew

: the wood of a yew

especially : the heavy fine-grained wood of the English yew

archaic : an archery bow made of yew

Examples of yew in a Sentence

a bow made of yew

Recent Examples on the Web 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 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

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Yew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yew. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

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Kids Definition

yew

noun

ˈyü

: any of a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs that are gymnosperms with short stiff flattened needlelike leaves and seeds having a red juicy covering

: the wood of a yew

especially : the heavy fine-grained wood of an Old World yew that is used especially for bows and small articles

Medical Definition

yew

noun

ˈyü

: 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