fallow

fallow
I. adjective Etymology: Middle English falow, from Old English fealu; akin to Old High German falo pale, fallow, Latin pallēre to be pale, Greek polios gray Date: before 12th century of a light yellowish-brown color II. noun Etymology: Middle English falwe, falow, from Old English fealg — more at felly Date: before 12th century 1. usually cultivated land that is allowed to lie idle during the growing season 2. obsolete plowed land 3. the state or period of being fallow 4. the tilling of land without sowing it for a season III. transitive verb Date: 15th century to plow, harrow, and break up (land) without seeding to destroy weeds and conserve soil moisture IV. adjective Date: 15th century 1. left untilled or unsown after plowing 2. dormant, inactive — used especially in the phrase to lie fallow <
at this very moment there are probably important inventions lying fallowHarper's
>
fallowness noun

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • fallow — fal‧low [ˈfæləʊ ǁ loʊ] adjective 1. FARMING fallow land has been dug but is not being used for growing crops, giving the quality of the soil a chance to improve: • fallow land • a fallow field 2. lie fallow FARMING if …   Financial and business terms

  • Fallow — Fal low, n. [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.] 1. Plowed land. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Who . . . pricketh his blind horse over …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fallow — Fal low, a. [AS. fealu, fealo, pale yellow or red; akin to D. vaal fallow, faded, OHG. falo, G. falb, fahl, Icel. f[ o]lr, and prob. to Lith. palvas, OSlav. plav[u^] white, L. pallidus pale, pallere to be pale, Gr. polio s gray, Skr. palita. Cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fallow — fallow1 [fal′ō] n. [ME falow < OE fealh, akin to fealh, harrow, felly (of wheel) < IE base * pelk , to turn > Gael olca, fallow land] 1. land plowed but not seeded for one or more growing seasons, to kill weeds, make the soil richer, etc …   English World dictionary

  • Fallow — Fal low, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Fallowed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Fallowing}.] [From {Fallow}, n.] 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fallow — ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of farmland) ploughed and harrowed but left for a period without being sown. 2) characterized by inactivity. 3) (of a sow) not pregnant. ► NOUN ▪ a piece of fallow land. DERIVATIVES fallowness noun …   English terms dictionary

  • fallow — index barren, idle, otiose, unproductive Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • fallow — [adj] inactive dormant, idle, inert, neglected, quiescent, resting, slack, uncultivated, undeveloped, unplanted, unplowed, unproductive, unseeded, untilled, unused, vacant, virgin; concepts 485,560 Ant. active, cultivated, developed, used …   New thesaurus

  • fallow — {{11}}fallow (adj.) pale yellow, brownish yellow, O.E. fealu reddish yellow, yellowish brown, tawny, dusk colored, from P.Gmc. *falwa (Cf. O.S. falu, O.N. fölr, M.Du. valu, Du. vaal, O.H.G. falo, Ger. falb), from PIE *pal wo dark colored, gray… …   Etymology dictionary

  • fallow — [[t]fæ̱loʊ[/t]] 1) ADJ Fallow land has been dug or ploughed but nothing has been planted in it, especially so that its quality or strength has a chance to improve. ...great red barns in empty fallow fields... The fields lay fallow. 2) ADJ: usu… …   English dictionary

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