from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.
[1913 Webster]
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]