fallow

¹

[ fal-oh ]

adjective

1. (of land) plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated.
2. not in use; inactive:

   My creative energies have lain fallow this year.

noun

1. land that has undergone plowing and harrowing and has been left unseeded for one or more growing seasons.

verb (used with object)

1. to make (land) fallow for agricultural purposes.

fallow

²

[ fal-oh ]

adjective

1. pale-yellow; light-brown; dun.

fallow

¹

/ ˈfæləʊ /

adjective

1. of a light yellowish-brown colour

fallow

²

/ ˈfæləʊ /

adjective

1. (of land) left unseeded after being ploughed and harrowed to regain fertility for a crop
2. (of an idea, state of mind, etc) undeveloped or inactive, but potentially useful

noun

1. land treated in this way

verb

1. tr to leave (land) unseeded after ploughing and harrowing it

Derived Forms

• ˈfallowness, noun

Other Words From

• fallow·ness noun
• un·fallowed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fallow¹

1275–1325; Middle English falwe; compare Old English fealga, plural of *fealh, as gloss of Medieval Latin occas harrows

Origin of fallow²

before 1000; Middle English fal ( o ) we, Old English fealu; cognate with German falb

Word History and Origins

Origin of fallow¹

Old English fealu ; related to Old Norse fölr, Old Saxon, Old High German falo , Latin pallidus Greek polios grey

Origin of fallow²

Old English fealga ; related to Greek polos ploughed field

Example Sentences

The festival will take place from 25 to 29 June 2025 at Worthy Farm, Somerset, before a fallow year in 2026.

From BBC

No acts have been confirmed for the festival's line-up, but demand will be high - as 2025 is the last chance to attend before the event takes a fallow year in 2026.

From BBC

He said investing in more efficient irrigation systems and other water-saving improvements requires substantial investments and time, but would allow the valley to conserve more without leaving farmland dry and fallow.

From Los Angeles Times

Organisers have fallow years to give the ground at Worthy Farm a rest, with more than 200,000 people attending the event every year.

From BBC

Q: In The Blue Plate, you visited a Colorado farm where the farmers have eliminated things like mechanically tilling the soil or leaving land fallow, both of which degrade soil.

From Salon