资料来源 : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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.]
   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.

   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.

   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.

   3. A bow for shooting, made of the 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.]
   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.

   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.

   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.

   3. A bow for shooting, made of the yew.

Taxine \Tax"ine\, n. [L. taxus a yew.] (Chem.)
   A poisonous alkaloid of bitter taste extracted from the
   leaves and seeds of the European yew ({Taxus baccata}).
   Called also {taxia}.



   {Ground furze} (Bot.), a low slightly thorny, leguminous
      shrub ({Ononis arvensis}) of Europe and Central Asia,; --
      called also {rest-harrow}.

   {Ground game}, hares, rabbits, etc., as distinguished from
      winged game.

   {Ground hele} (Bot.), a perennial herb ({Veronica
      officinalis}) with small blue flowers, common in Europe
      and America, formerly thought to have curative properties.
      

   {Ground of the heavens} (Astron.), the surface of any part of
      the celestial sphere upon which the stars may be regarded
      as projected.

   {Ground hemlock} (Bot.), the yew ({Taxus baccata} var.
      Canadensisi) of eastern North America, distinguished from
      that of Europe by its low, straggling stems.

   {Ground hog}. (Zo["o]l.)
       (a) The woodchuck or American marmot ({Arctomys monax}).
           See {Woodchuck}.
       (b) The aardvark.

   {Ground hold} (Naut.), ground tackle. [Obs.] --Spenser.

   {Ground ice}, ice formed at the bottom of a body of water
      before it forms on the surface.

   {Ground ivy}. (Bot.) A trailing plant; alehoof. See {Gill}.
      

   {Ground joist}, a joist for a basement or ground floor; a.
      sleeper.

   {Ground lark} (Zo["o]l.), the European pipit. See {Pipit}.

   {Ground laurel} (Bot.). See {Trailing arbutus}, under
      {Arbutus}.

   {Ground line} (Descriptive Geom.), the line of intersection
      of the horizontal and vertical planes of projection.

   {Ground liverwort} (Bot.), a flowerless plant with a broad
      flat forking thallus and the fruit raised on peduncled and
      radiated receptacles ({Marchantia polymorpha}).

   {Ground mail}, in Scotland, the fee paid for interment in a
      churchyard.

   {Ground mass} (Geol.), the fine-grained or glassy base of a
      rock, in which distinct crystals of its constituents are
      embedded.

   {Ground parrakeet} (Zo["o]l.), one of several Australian
      parrakeets, of the genera {Callipsittacus} and
      {Geopsittacus}, which live mainly upon the ground.

   {Ground pearl} (Zo["o]l.), an insect of the family
      {Coccid[ae]} ({Margarodes formicarum}), found in ants'
      nests in the Bahamas, and having a shelly covering. They
      are strung like beads, and made into necklaces by the
      natives.

   {Ground pig} (Zo["o]l.), a large, burrowing, African rodent
      ({Aulacodus Swinderianus}) about two feet long, allied to
      the porcupines but with harsh, bristly hair, and no
      spines; -- called also {ground rat}.

   {Ground pigeon} (Zo["o]l.), one of numerous species of
      pigeons which live largely upon the ground, as the
      tooth-billed pigeon ({Didunculus strigirostris}), of the
      Samoan Islands, and the crowned pigeon, or goura. See
      {Goura}, and {Ground dove} (above).

   {Ground pine}. (Bot.)
       (a) A blue-flowered herb of the genus {Ajuga} ({A.
           Cham[ae]pitys}), formerly included in the genus
           {Teucrium} or germander, and named from its resinous
           smell. --Sir J. Hill.
       (b) A long, creeping, evergreen plant of the genus
           {Lycopodium} ({L. clavatum}); -- called also {club
           moss}.
       (c) A tree-shaped evergreen plant about eight inches in
           height, of the same genus ({L. dendroideum}) found in
           moist, dark woods in the northern part of the United
           States. --Gray.

   {Ground plan} (Arch.), a plan of the ground floor of any
      building, or of any floor, as distinguished from an
      elevation or perpendicular section.

   {Ground plane}, the horizontal plane of projection in
      perspective drawing.

   {Ground plate}.
       (a) (Arch.) One of the chief pieces of framing of a
           building; a timber laid horizontally on or near the
           ground to support the uprights; a ground sill or
           groundsel.
       (b) (Railroads) A bed plate for sleepers or ties; a
           mudsill.
       (c) (Teleg.) A metallic plate buried in the earth to
           conduct the electric current thereto. Connection to
           the pipes of a gas or water main is usual in cities.
           --Knight.

   {Ground plot}, the ground upon which any structure is
      erected; hence, any basis or foundation; also, a ground
      plan.

   {Ground plum} (Bot.), a leguminous plant ({Astragalus
      caryocarpus}) occurring from the Saskatchewan to Texas,
      and having a succulent plum-shaped pod.

   {Ground rat}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Ground pig} (above).

   {Ground rent}, rent paid for the privilege of building on
      another man's land.

   {Ground robin}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Chewink}.

   {Ground room}, a room on the ground floor; a lower room.
      --Tatler.

   {Ground sea}, the West Indian name for a swell of the ocean,
      which occurs in calm weather and without obvious cause,
      breaking on the shore in heavy roaring billows; -- called
      also {rollers}, and in Jamaica, {the North sea}.

   {Ground sill}. See {Ground plate} (a) (above).

   {Ground snake} (Zo["o]l.), a small burrowing American snake
      ({Celuta am[oe]na}). It is salmon colored, and has a blunt
      tail.

   {Ground squirrel}. (Zo["o]l.)
       (a) One of numerous species of burrowing rodents of the
           genera {Tamias} and {Spermophilus}, having cheek
           pouches. The former genus includes the Eastern
           striped squirrel or chipmunk and some allied Western
           species; the latter includes the prairie squirrel or
           striped gopher, the gray gopher, and many allied
           Western species. See {Chipmunk}, and {Gopher}.
       (b) Any species of the African genus {Xerus}, allied to
           {Tamias}.

   {Ground story}. Same as {Ground floor} (above).

   {Ground substance} (Anat.), the intercellular substance, or
      matrix, of tissues.

   {Ground swell}.
       (a) (Bot.) The plant groundsel. [Obs.] --Holland.
       (b) A broad, deep swell or undulation of the ocean,
           caused by a long continued gale, and felt even at a
           remote distance after the gale has ceased.

   {Ground table}. (Arch.) See Earth table, under Earth.

   {Ground tackle} (Naut.), the tackle necessary to secure a
      vessel at anchor. --Totten.

   {Ground thrush} (Zo["o]l.), one of numerous species of
      bright-colored Oriental birds of the family {Pittid[ae]}.
      See {Pitta}.

   {Ground tier}.
       (a) The lowest tier of water casks in a vessel's hold.
           --Totten.
       (b) The lowest line of articles of any kind stowed in a
           vessel's hold.
       (c) The lowest range of boxes in a theater.

   {Ground timbers} (Shipbuilding) the timbers which lie on the
      keel and are bolted to the keelson; floor timbers.
      --Knight.

   {Ground tit}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Ground wren} (below).

   {Ground wheel}, that wheel of a harvester, mowing machine,
      etc., which, rolling on the ground, drives the mechanism.
      

   {Ground wren} (Zo["o]l.), a small California bird ({Cham[ae]a
      fasciata}) allied to the wrens and titmice. It inhabits
      the arid plains. Called also {ground tit}, and {wren tit}.
      

   {To bite the ground}, {To break ground}. See under {Bite},
      {Break}.

   {To come to the ground}, {To fall to the ground}, to come to
      nothing; to fail; to miscarry.

   {To gain ground}.
       (a) To advance; to proceed forward in conflict; as, an
           army in battle gains ground.
       (b) To obtain an advantage; to have some success; as, the
           army gains ground on the enemy.
       (c) To gain credit; to become more prosperous or
           influential.

   {To get, or To gather}, {ground}, to gain ground. [R.]
      ``Evening mist . . . gathers ground fast.'' --Milton.

            There is no way for duty to prevail, and get ground
            of them, but by bidding higher.       --South.

   {To give ground}, to recede; to yield advantage.

            These nine . . . began to give me ground. --Shak.

   {To lose ground}, to retire; to retreat; to withdraw from the
      position taken; hence, to lose advantage; to lose credit
      or reputation; to decline.

   {To stand one's ground}, to stand firm; to resist attack or
      encroachment. --Atterbury.

   {To take the ground} to touch bottom or become stranded; --
      said of a ship.

资料来源 : WordNet®

Taxus baccata
     n : predominant yew in Europe; extraordinarily long-lived and
         slow growing; one of the oldest species in the world
         [syn: {Old World yew}, {English yew}]