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 • Mar. 21, 2026

In recent decades—since the 1970s—the Broadway musical has waxed and waned in terms of both quality and popularity, with fertile and fallow periods.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

But that does not account for fluctuations in the market; if there was a slump after year 10 or a sudden boom after a fallow period, it would skew your results.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 26, 2025

Over 40% of available farmland has remained fallow because of the lack of profitable alternatives, limited agricultural outputs and, adverse climate conditions it added.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

“You’re going to pass something down no matter what you do or if you do nothing. Even if you let yourself go fallow, the weeds will grow and the brambles. Something will grow.”

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck