yew
1[ yoo ]
/ yu /
noun
any of several evergreen, coniferous trees and shrubs of the genera Taxus and Torreya, constituting the family Taxaceae, of the Old World, North America, and Japan, having needlelike or scalelike foliage and seeds enclosed in a fleshy aril.
the fine-grained, elastic wood of any of these trees.
an archer's bow made of this wood.
this tree or its branches as a symbol of sorrow, death, or resurrection.
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decorum
Origin of yew
1before 900; Middle English ew(e), Old English ēow, ī(o)w; cognate with Old High German īga, īwa (Middle High German īwe, German Eibe), Old Norse ýr, MIr eó yew (Old Irish: stem, shaft), Welsh ywen yew tree, Russian íva willow
Words nearby yew
Definition for yew (2 of 2)
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
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British Dictionary definitions for yew
yew
/ (juː) /
noun
any coniferous tree of the genus Taxus, of the Old World and North America, esp T. baccata, having flattened needle-like leaves, fine-grained elastic wood, and solitary seeds with a red waxy aril resembling berries: family Taxaceae
the wood of any of these trees, used to make bows for archery
archery a bow made of yew
Word Origin for yew
Old English īw; related to Old High German īwa, Old Norse ӯr yew, Latin ūva grape, Russian iva willow
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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