fallow
FAL-oh
/ˈfæloʊ/
plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated.
It is a deliberate choice to let land rest to recover its fertility, not just abandoned land.
The story behind the word. From the Old English 'fealg', which referred to land that had been plowed but not yet sown. It is also related to the color 'fallow' (a pale brownish-yellow), which was the color of a plowed field with no green crops growing on it.
Word relationships
- dormant: Implies a state of sleep or inactivity, often used for seeds or volcanoes.
- resting: A simpler term for taking a break, but less specific to agriculture.
- cultivated: Land that is currently being worked and planted.
- active: Land that is in use.
Commonly confused with
- barren: Barren land cannot grow anything; fallow land is choosing not to grow anything right now.
Collocations
- lie fallow
- fallow field
- fallow period
Idioms & expressions
- to lie fallow
Example sentences
- "The seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow." Religious law (Exodus 23:11, The Bible)
- "The farmer left the north field fallow this year to help restore the nitrogen levels." Modern strategy
Memory hook
'Fallow' sounds like 'follow'—the harvest will 'follow' after the land has had its rest. Land on a break.
When not to use
Don't use it for land that is naturally barren; fallow land is meant to be farmed but is currently resting.
Fun facts
- In literature, 'lying fallow' is often used as a metaphor for a creative person taking a break to wait for new ideas.
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