What does "yew" mean?
A species of coniferous tree, Taxus baccata, with dark-green flat needle-like leaves and seeds bearing red arils, native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia.
Yew
/juː/ adj, noun, pron
adj, noun, pron ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A species of coniferous tree, Taxus baccata, with dark-green flat needle-like leaves and seeds bearing red arils, native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia.
- Grammar: yew is listed as adj, noun, pron.
- Nearest alternatives: archery wood, black, bow wood, common yew.
- Useful contrasts: deciduous tree.
- Usage evidence: "Do you know what kind of tree you just broke?" "No, I don't," I answered the detective. While looking through the open door, the detective shouted, "Hey, do you know what kind of tree he just broke?" "Um, looks like it's a yew plum pine," said the voice of a young woman. After straightening himself in his seat, the detective asked me one more time: "Do you know what kind of tree you just broke?"
How to use "yew"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "yew" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "yew" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "yew" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "yew" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "yew" is acting as adj, noun, pron in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "archery wood" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "yew", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A species of coniferous tree, Taxus baccata, with dark-green flat needle-like leaves and seeds bearing red arils, native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. countable
"Old Yew, which graspest at the stones That name the under-lying dead, Thy fibres net the dreamless head, Thy roots are wrapt about the bones."
- 2 any of numerous evergreen trees or shrubs having red cup-shaped berries and flattened needlelike leaves wordnet
- 3 Any tree or shrub of the genus Taxus. broadly, countable
- 4 wood of a yew; especially the durable fine-grained light brown or red wood of the English yew valued for cabinetwork and archery bows wordnet
- 5 Other conifers resembling plants in genus Taxus:; in family Podocarpaceae. countable, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Other conifers resembling plants in genus Taxus:; in family Cephalotaxaceae. countable, uncountable
- 7 The wood of the such trees. uncountable
"To prevent a too great conſumption of yew, bowyers were directed to make four bows of witch-haſel, aſh or elm, to one of yew, and no perſon under ſeventeen years of age, unleſs poſſeſſed of moveables worth forty marks, or the ſon of parents having an eſtate of ten pounds per annum might ſhoot in an yew bow, under a penalty of 6s. 8d."
- 8 A bow for archery, made of yew wood. countable, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 Made from the wood of the yew tree. not-comparable
Pronoun
- 1 Eye dialect spelling of you. alt-of, pronunciation-spelling
"A spinoff, “Major Crimes,” starring “Battlestar Galactica” veteran Mary McDonnell and a number of “Closer” cast members, premieres in August. Sedgwick won’t be among them, swapping Brenda’s syrupy “thank yew” for an upbeat “buh-bye now” to her co-workers."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
deciduous tree
Example
""Do you know what kind of tree you just broke?" "No, I don't," I answered the detective. While looking through the open door, the detective shouted, "Hey, do you know what kind of tree he just broke?" "Um, looks like it's a yew plum pine," said the voice of a young woman. After straightening himself in his seat, the detective asked me one more time: "Do you know what kind of tree you just broke?""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "yew"?
Common synonyms include: archery wood, black, bow wood, common yew, ebony, european yew.
How do you use "yew" in a sentence?
"Do you know what kind of tree you just broke?" "No, I don't," I answered the detective. While looking through the open door, the detective shouted, "Hey, do you know what kind of tree he just broke?" "Um, looks like it's a yew plum pine," said the voice of a young woman. After straightening himself in his seat, the detective asked me one more time: "Do you know what kind of tree you just broke?"
How do you pronounce "yew"?
Pronounced /juː/.
Etymology
From Middle English ew, from Old English īw, ēow, assumed to be from Proto-West Germanic *īhu, from Proto-Germanic *īhwaz (compare Icelandic ýr), masculine variant of *īwō (compare Dutch ijf, German Eibe), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eyHw-. See also Hittite 𒄑𒂊𒅀𒀭 (eyan, “type of evergreen”), Welsh yw (“yews”), Irish eo, Old Irish eó, Latgalian īva (“bird cherry”), Lithuanian ievà (“bird cherry”), Russian и́ва (íva, “willow”).