adjective
fallow
FA-loh
adjective
1
Left unplanted for a season or more to let the soil recover.
"The farmer let the northern field lie fallow this year."
2
Inactive or not being used or developed.
"His career had lain fallow for several years before the comeback."
noun
1
Land that has been plowed but deliberately left unseeded.
"The fallow stretched for acres beyond the barn."
How to Use Fallow
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFarmland deliberately left unplanted to rest, or more broadly, anything sitting unused or inactive.
Common pairings
lie fallow
fallow field
fallow period
Word Forms
more fallow comparative, more fallow comparative, fallowed past tense, fallows plural, fallows singular, most fallow superlative, most fallow superlative
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The farmer let the northern field lie _____ this year.
Etymology
From Old English fealh ("fallow land"), related to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "arable land."