fallow

1
[ fal-oh ]
See synonyms for fallow on Thesaurus.com
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.

Origin of fallow

1
1275–1325; Middle English falwe; compare Old English fealga, plural of *fealh, as gloss of Medieval Latin occas harrows

Other words from fallow

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

Words Nearby fallow

Other definitions for fallow (2 of 2)

fallow2
[ fal-oh ]

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

Origin of fallow

2
before 1000; Middle English fal(o)we,Old English fealu; cognate with German falb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fallow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fallow (1 of 2)

fallow1

/ (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

Origin of fallow

1
Old English fealga; related to Greek polos ploughed field

Derived forms of fallow

  • fallowness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for fallow (2 of 2)

fallow2

/ (ˈfæləʊ) /


adjective
  1. of a light yellowish-brown colour

Origin of fallow

2
Old English fealu; related to Old Norse fölr, Old Saxon, Old High German falo, Latin pallidus Greek polios grey

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