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

Explanation

Something that is fallow is left unused. If you’re smart but lazy, someone might say you have a fallow mind. We use the word to talk about any unused resource, it started as a work about land. Fallow comes from the old English word for plowing, and refers to the practice of leaving fields unplowed in rotation — when a field lies fallow, the soil regains nutrients that are sucked up by over-planting.

Example Sentences

Following the tournament's fallow week, Ireland will look to get back on track and pick up their second home victory in the campaign.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Formula 1's unscheduled fallow April is nearing its end, with the 2026 season resuming with the Miami Grand Prix, from 1-3 May.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

He pointed out that as salmon have suffered declines, California’s agriculture industry has been planting more nut orchards, replacing other field crops that are easier to leave fallow when water is scarce.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

In France alone, about 300,000 hectares of land once used for cereal farming has been left fallow or abandoned since 2022, he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Rabbits scurried away in every direction as they advanced, and presently they saw a whole herd of fallow deer making off among the trees.

From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis