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

“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

That middle weekend - with fallow weeks either side - always felt a little imperfect.

From BBC

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

BBC Sport has been told the WSL would rather the tournament is played in the summer during a fallow year with no other major global competitions, rather than disrupting the domestic schedule.

From BBC

“It could take literally days out of the amount of time that things just kind of sit fallow,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal