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Definition of 'yew'

Word Frequency

yew

(juː )

Word forms: plural yews

variable noun

A yew or a yew tree is an evergreen tree. It has sharp leaves which are broad and flat, and red berries.

Yew is the wood of this tree.

COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

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yew

© Richard Peterson, shutterstock

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Word Frequency

yew in British English

(juː )

noun

1.

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

2.

the wood of any of these trees, used to make bows for archery

3. archery

a bow made of yew

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Word origin

Old English īw; related to Old High German īwa, Old Norse ӯr yew, Latin ūva grape, Russian iva willow

Word Frequency

yew in American English

(ju )

noun

1.

a.

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

b.

the wood, used esp. for making archers' bows

2. Archaic

an archer's bow of yew

adjective

3.

designating a family (Taxaceae) of resinous evergreen conifers with needlelike leaves, including ground hemlock

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Word origin

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

Example sentences including
yew

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

The same applies to yew and box hedges.But he had no memory of any yew tree in the grounds. Box and yew topiary is particularly suitable for tiny spaces as it provides form and greenery all year round.They'll also provide screening while the yew and box plants are getting established.On yew trees, the first male flowers are appearing beneath the dark green leaves.In the music gardens, box and yew shapes form the symbolic patterns of notes and musical instruments.To find the Centre turn right down the hill just before the yew wood at the south end.A yew tree lost in the build has been turned into a curved bookcase and a mottled sliding door.The whole yew tree is poisonous, except for the pulp of the fleshy red berries that adorn it in autumn.She asked me to make a garden of dark green with lots of clipped yew trees and one which would recall Rome.

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Word lists with
yew

tree, wood

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

-

Score: 0 / 5

Which type of wood am I?

any of various tropical trees, esp Oxandra lanceolata, yielding a tough elastic wood: family Annonaceae

ebony lancewood mahogany

Which type of wood am I?

any of various trees having offensive-smelling wood, esp Ocotea bullata, a southern African lauraceous tree yielding a hard wood used for furniture

stinkwood torchwood yellowwood

Which type of wood am I?

the wood of the sandarac tree

alerce cade hardwood

Which type of wood am I?

the wood or resin of this tree

baywood hardwood kauri

Which type of wood am I?

the hard wood of any of these trees, used in making furniture, etc

beech calamander oak

Your score:

Trends of
yew

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In other languages
yew

British English: yew /juː/ NOUN

A yew or a yew tree is an evergreen tree. It has sharp leaves which are broad and flat, and red berries.

American English: yew
Arabic: طَقْسُوس
Brazilian Portuguese: teixo
Chinese: 紫杉
Croatian: tisa
Czech: tis
Danish: taks
Dutch: taxusboom
European Spanish: tejo
Finnish: marjakuusi
French: if
German: Eibe
Greek: ήμερο έλατο
Italian: tasso
Japanese: イチイ
Korean: 주목
Norwegian: barlind
Polish: cis
European Portuguese: teixo
Romanian: tisă
Russian: тис
Latin American Spanish: tejo
Swedish: idegran
Thai: ต้นไม้ที่เขียวตลอดปี
Turkish: porsuk ağacı
Ukrainian: тис
Vietnamese: cây thủy tùng

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Nearby words of
yew

Related terms of
yew

Lee Kuan Yew

Source

Definition of yew from the Collins English Dictionary

New from Collins

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

-

Score: 0 / 5

elicit or illicit?

Which version is correct?

He tried to elicit some response from the class. He tried to illicit some response from the class.

stalk or stork?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

stork

stalk

I used to think that a delivered babies.

knew or new?

Which version is correct?

Her classmates knew nothing about her. Her classmates new nothing about her.

fir or fur?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

fur

fir

The rabbit's was short and silky.

spoke or spoken?

Which version is correct?

She cried when she spoke of Oliver. She cried when she spoken of Oliver.

Your score:

Feb 01, 2020

Word of the day

pargasite

a dark green inosilicate mineral, named after Pargas in Finland where it was first described in 1814

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Scrabble score
for 'yew':
9

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

-

Score: 0 / 5

desert or dessert?

Which version is correct?

The vehicles have been modified to suit conditions in the desert. The vehicles have been modified to suit conditions in the dessert.

vane or vein or vain?

Which version is correct?

The bird was sitting on top of the weather vane. The bird was sitting on top of the weather vein. The bird was sitting on top of the weather vain.

role or roll?

Which version is correct?

Both sides have a role to play. Both sides have a roll to play.

pray or prey?

Which version is correct?

We all work and pray for peace. We all work and prey for peace.

hours or ours?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

hours

ours

You seem to have been working twelve a day.

Your score:

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