yew

noun \ ˈyü \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

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: 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

See yew defined for English-language learners

See yew defined for kids

Examples of yew in a Sentence

a bow made of yew

Recent Examples of yew from the Web

Proud parades of topiary yews, surely once immaculate, have gone slightly shaggy.

— david usborne, Town & Country, "The Mysterious Case of the Parnham House Fire," 29 May 2018
For instance, deer will generally eat yews and arborvitae, and leave boxwood alone.

— tim johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Sunny or shady? Sandy or clay soil? Know specifics of your garden before picking plants.," 17 Apr. 2018
Would Sky Pencil holly or Japanese yew be considerations?

— neil sperry, San Antonio Express-News, "Oak galls an ugly home for larvae, but not a major concern," 13 Apr. 2018
The sooty mold is not attacking or hurting the yew.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "How to treat aphids on ornamental plants," 10 Mar. 2018
There’s also a playground, a yew maze, Rose Garden, and topiary chess set.

— ellen scolnic, Philly.com, "Finding Anne Boleyn (and Henry VIII) at Hever Castle," 9 Feb. 2018
At the Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden my favorite combination had them with Kaleidoscope abelias and spreading plum yew.

— norman winter, idahostatesman, "Soft Caress mahonia magically blooms, bringing in the honeybees | Idaho Statesman," 31 Jan. 2018
The kitchen faces the glass atrium, which on cool days can be opened up to a side yard shaded with a large yew tree.

— contributing writer, NOLA.com, "6 decorating and life lessons learned in 2017," 18 Dec. 2017
For other areas, there are spreading forms of the Japanese yew and junipers.

— dick crum, Indianapolis Star, "Gardening questions answered," 8 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yew.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of yew

Origin and Etymology of yew

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Seed Plant Terms

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

YEW Defined for English Language Learners

yew

noun

Definition of yew for English Language Learners

: an evergreen tree or bush with stiff needles and small red berries
: the wood of a yew

YEW Defined for Kids

yew

noun \ ˈyü \

Definition of yew for Students

: a tree or shrub with stiff needlelike evergreen leaves and seeds having a red juicy covering

Medical Dictionary

yew

noun \ ˈyü \

medical Definition of yew

: 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