yew
yew
Definition
yew (yo̵̅o̅)
noun
- any of a genus (Taxus) of evergreen shrubs and trees of the yew family, having red, cuplike, waxy cones containing a single seed, broad, flattened leaves that are needles, and fine-grained, elastic wood
- the wood, used esp. for making archers' bows
- Archaic an archer's bow of yew
Etymology: ME ew < OE iw, eow, akin to Ger eibe (OHG iwa) < IE *(e)iwā- < base *ei-, reddish > L uva, grape: orig. name because of color of the wood
adjective
designating a family (Taxaceae) of resinous evergreen conifers with needlelike leaves, including ground hemlock
yew
Usage Examples
Preposition: on
- side: The earliest stone is of 1671 under a yew on the west side of the church.
Adjective modifier
- 19thc: Yews of lesser girth on east boundary and a 19thC yew on the north side of the graveyard.
- sacred: The history of the sacred yew can be sketched in outline.
- ancient: His grave is beside no church, neither under the shadow of any ancient yew.
- mature: Vegetation: two mature yews on west, a couple of younger ones on north.
- Irish: Florence Court's most notable tree, the Irish Yew, grows in a much wilder part of the estate.
- old: More information 3rd February 2003 300 year old yew saved from the chop!
Converse of object
- clip: Twelve sentinel clipped yews, again reinforcing the time theme surround the lawn.
- plant: Carolyn and Carole planted some green yew ( Taxus baccata ) in these boxes.
- include: Vegetation: yews and firs on the southwest boundary include two old yews on the west.
- have: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 Where have Yew been?
Modifies a noun
- hedge: The garden has the oldest yew hedge maze in England.
- hedging: The boundary to the road consists of a low red brick wall planted with mature yew hedging.
- tree: The garden still contains a yew tree which he planted in 1645.
- maze: The garden has the oldest yew hedge maze in England.
- alley: I do not know of any other garden, real or fictitious, claiming to have a " yew alley " .
- woodland: The yew woodland is an outstanding example of a habitat with a very small representation in Britain.
Preposition: in
- churchyard: I headed up an avenue of limes, which seemed to line up with the yews in the churchyard.
Preposition: of
- age: Vegetation: two yews of no great age on former northern edge of churchyard.
Noun used with modifier
- churchyard: There is little sound except for the breeze stirring in the churchyard yew trees.
Browse dictionary entries near yew
- Yevtushenko
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- yestreen
- yesteryear
- yesternight
- yestermorning
- yestermorn
- yesterevening
- yestereve
- Yezo
- Ygdrasil
- Yggdrasill
- YHVH
- YHWH
- yid
- Yiddish
- Yiddishism
- Yiddishist
- Yiddishkeit
