yew

Everyday

1. A yew is an evergreen tree with dark green, flat needles and red berry-like cones; it can live for a very long time. tree →
2. Yew is the hard, bendy wood of this tree, once used to make longbows. tree →

In the lessons

In science and nature lessons, yews grow in churchyards and gardens in the UK and Ireland, and they are among the oldest living trees. Safety: almost all parts of the yew are very poisonous to people and animals, so never eat the seeds or leaves. In history, English archers' longbows were made of yew. Phrases: «yew tree», «yew hedge», «yew longbow».

Examples

• An ancient yew tree grew in the churchyard. tree →
• Never eat yew berries; the seeds are poisonous. tree →
• The yew hedge was trimmed into neat shapes. tree →
• Longbows were made from yew wood. tree →
• A yew stays green all winter. tree →
• Some yews are more than a thousand years old. tree →
• As soon as the frog had recovered her senses she hopped up to the queen, who was still sitting under the yew. tree →

Note

Countable for trees, uncountable for the wood. Homophones: «yew» sounds like «you» and «ewe» (a female sheep). The red fleshy part is called an aril; the seed inside is poisonous.