: 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 WebSticks from yew plants, for example, can be toxic to dogs.—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Aug. 2024 None of these species are super fast-growing, but boxwoods and the upright yew varieties are among the slowest.—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024 For shrubs, consider yew, mahonia, boxwood, and gardenias.—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024 The pool was expected to have an apple or rose walk, a yew hedge, and a vegetable garden.—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 27 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for yew
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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