Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Yew"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Yew \Yew\ ([=u]), v. i.
See {Yaw}.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Yew \Yew\, n. [OE. ew, AS. e['o]w, [=i]w, eoh; akin to D. ijf,
OHG. [=i]wa, [=i]ha, G. eibe, Icel. [=y]r; cf. Ir. iubhar,
Gael. iubhar, iughar, W. yw, ywen, Lith. j["e]va the black
alder tree.]
1. (Bot.) An evergreen tree ({Taxus baccata}) of Europe,
allied to the pines, but having a peculiar berrylike fruit
instead of a cone. It frequently grows in British
churchyards.
2. The wood of the yew. It is light red in color, compact,
fine-grained, and very elastic. It is preferred to all
other kinds of wood for bows and whipstocks, the best for
these purposes coming from Spain.
Note: The {American yew} ({Taxus baccata}, var. {Canadensis})
is a low and straggling or prostrate bush, never
forming an erect trunk. The {California yew} ({Taxus
brevifolia}) is a good-sized tree, and its wood is used
for bows, spear handles, paddles, and other similar
implements. Another yew is found in Florida, and there
are species in Japan and the Himalayas.
3. A bow for shooting, made of the yew.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Yew \Yew\ ([=u]), a.
Of or pertaining to yew trees; made of the wood of a yew
tree; as, a yew whipstock.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
yew
n 1: wood of a yew; especially the durable fine-grained light
brown or red wood of the English yew valued for
cabinetwork and archery bows
2: any of numerous evergreen trees or shrubs having red
cup-shaped berries and flattened needlelike leaves
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