Definition of yew
1a
: 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
b
: the wood of a yew
especially
: the heavy fine-grained wood of the English yew
2
archaic
: an archery bow made of yew
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for yew
The first known use of yew was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century