Yew

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
    

Yew \Yew\ ([=u]), a.
   Of or pertaining to yew trees; made of the wood of a yew
   tree; as, a yew whipstock.
   [1913 Webster]
    

Yew \Yew\ ([=u]), v. i.
   See {Yaw}.
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Yew \Yew\, n. [OE. ew, AS. e['o]w, [imac]w, eoh; akin to D. ijf,
   OHG. [imac]wa, [imac]ha, G. eibe, Icel. [=y]r; cf. Ir.
   iubhar, Gael. iubhar, iughar, W. yw, ywen, Lith. j["e]va the
   black alder tree.]
   [1913 Webster]
   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.
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   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.
      [1913 Webster]

   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}, also called {Pacific yew}) is a good-sized
         tree, and its wood is used for bows, spear handles,
         paddles, and other similar implements; the anticancer
         agent {taxol} is obtained from its bark. Another yew is
         found in Florida, and there are species in Japan and
         the Himalayas.
         [1913 Webster + PJC]

   3. A bow for shooting, made of the yew.
      [1913 Webster]