fallow

¹ American  

[fal-oh] / ˈfæl oʊ /

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.

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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 American  

[fal-oh] / ˈfæl oʊ /

adjective

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

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fallow ¹ British  

/ 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

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noun

1. land treated in this way

verb

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

fallow ² British  

/ ˈfæləʊ /

adjective

1. of a light yellowish-brown colour

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Other Word Forms

• fallowness noun
• unfallowed adjective

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

To reduce water use and comply with the groundwater law, Arvin-Edison is starting to buy some farmland and leave the fields fallow.

From Los Angeles Times

An artist who has been taking giant sculptures to Glastonbury Festival for decades is using the fallow year to hold an exhibition of his work.

From BBC

There is a fallow week now before Townsend's side host France and face the trip to Dublin.

From BBC

There are currently six deer species in Britain – red, sika, fallow, roe, muntjac and Chinese water - but only red and roe are "truly indigenous", according to the British Deer Society.

From BBC

“Ida B,” Daddy said, “we’ve been thinking about the south field that’s been lying fallow for a while and that it might be a good place to plant some more apple trees.”

From Literature