western yew
- noun
- /ˈwɛstərn ju/
- US
:
tejo del Pacífico
- The wood from the western yew is highly valued for making archery bows.
Examples
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The western yew is easily recognized by its irregular branching and dark green needle-like leaves.
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Conservationists are concerned about overharvesting of the western yew for pharmaceutical use.
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Western yew trees can be found in moist forests along the Pacific Northwest.
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The western yew is often found in coastal forests.
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Many western yews grow in the Pacific Northwest.
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Western yew trees are commonly used in making traditional archery bows due to their strong wood.
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Western yew grows in shaded areas of the Pacific coast, thriving in moist soil.
Synonyms
A yew tree from the Pacific coast of North America with uneven branches and dark green leaves
A small evergreen tree from the west coast valued for its hard, fine wood
A small or medium tree that grows on the Pacific coast and has strong, fine-grained wood
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally built from 'western' (from the west) + 'yew' (a type of tree), so a learner who knows both constituents will understand it denotes a yew tree associated with the west. This geographic + noun naming pattern is cross-linguistically common, so despite not knowing the exact botanical species details, the general meaning is directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Western yew: The name western yew tells you it is a kind of yew tree that grows along the Pacific coast in the west of North America. The word yew is an old name for this tree, and western shows its location, so the name simply means 'a yew from the west'.
