fallow Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun cultivated land that is not seeded for one or more growing seasons
  2. adjective satellite left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season
    • fallow farmland
  3. adjective satellite undeveloped but potentially useful
    • a fallow gold market

WordNet

Fal"low adjective
Etymology
AS. fealu, fealo, pale yellow or red; akin to D. vaal fallow, faded, OHG. falo, G. falb, fahl, Icel. fölr, and prob. to Lith. palvas, OSlav. plav white, L. pallidus pale, pallere to be pale, Gr. gray, Skr. palita. Cf. Pale, Favel, a., Favor.
Definitions
  1. Pale red or pale yellow; as, a fallow deer or greyhound. Shak.
  2. Cf. Fallow, n. Left untilled or unsowed after plowing; uncultivated; as, fallow ground.
Fal"low noun
Etymology
So called from the fallow, or somewhat yellow, color of naked ground; or perh. akin to E. felly, n., cf. MHG. valgen to plow up, OHG. felga felly, harrow.
Definitions
  1. Plowed land. Obs.
    Who . . . pricketh his blind horse over the fallows. Chaucer.
  2. Land that has lain a year or more untilled or unseeded; land plowed without being sowed for the season.
    The plowing of fallows is a benefit to land. Mortimer.
  3. The plowing or tilling of land, without sowing it for a season; as, summer fallow, properly conducted, has ever been found a sure method of destroying weeds.
    Be a complete summer fallow, land is rendered tender and mellow. The fallow gives it a better tilth than can be given by a fallow crop. Sinclair.
Fal"low transitive verb
Etymology
From Fallow, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Fallowed ; present participle & verbal noun Fallowing
Definitions
  1. To plow, harrow, and break up, as land, without seeding, for the purpose of destroying weeds and insects, and rendering it mellow; as, it is profitable to fallow cold, strong, clayey land.

Webster 1913