California yew

California yew
Yew Yew, n. [OE. ew, AS. e['o]w, [=i]w, eoh; akin to D. ijf, OHG. [=i]wa, [=i]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}) is a good-sized tree, and its wood is used for bows, spear handles, paddles, and other similar implements. Another yew is found in Florida, and there are species in Japan and the Himalayas. [1913 Webster]

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


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • California yew — noun small or medium irregularly branched tree of the Pacific coast of North America; yields fine hard close grained wood • Syn: ↑Pacific yew, ↑western yew, ↑Taxus brevifolia • Hypernyms: ↑yew • Member Holonyms: ↑Taxus, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Yew — Yew, n. [OE. ew, AS. e[ o]w, [=i]w, eoh; akin to D. ijf, OHG. [=i]wa, [=i]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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • California nutmeg — noun California evergreen having a fruit resembling a nutmeg but with a strong turpentine flavor • Syn: ↑nutmeg yew, ↑Torreya californica • Hypernyms: ↑yew • Member Holonyms: ↑Torreya, ↑genus Torreya * * * …   Useful english dictionary

  • American yew — Yew Yew, n. [OE. ew, AS. e[ o]w, [=i]w, eoh; akin to D. ijf, OHG. [=i]wa, [=i]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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • California nutmeg — a tall, pungently aromatic California evergreen tree, Torreya californica, of the yew family, having a fissured, gray brown bark and small, purple streaked, green fruit. [1905 10, Amer.] * * * ▪ plant also called  stinking nutmeg,  or  California …   Universalium

  • California nutmeg — Nutmeg Nut meg, n. [OE. notemuge; note nut + OF. muge musk, of the same origin as E. musk; cf. OF. noix muguette nutmeg, F. noix muscade. See {Nut}, and {Musk}.] (Bot.) The kernel of the fruit of the nutmeg tree ({Myristica fragrans}), a native… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pacific yew — ▪ plant also called  western yew, California yew, Oregon yew, or American yew        (Taxus brevifolia), an evergreen timber tree of the yew family (Taxaceae). It is the only commercially important yew native to North America, where it is found… …   Universalium

  • Pacific yew — noun small or medium irregularly branched tree of the Pacific coast of North America; yields fine hard close grained wood • Syn: ↑California yew, ↑western yew, ↑Taxus brevifolia • Hypernyms: ↑yew • Member Holonyms: ↑Taxus, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • western yew — noun small or medium irregularly branched tree of the Pacific coast of North America; yields fine hard close grained wood • Syn: ↑Pacific yew, ↑California yew, ↑Taxus brevifolia • Hypernyms: ↑yew • Member Holonyms: ↑Taxus, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Mountain View, California — For other places in California named Mountain View , see Mountain View (disambiguation)#United States of America. City of Mountain View   City   City Hall and the Center fo …   Wikipedia

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