Word
fallow
Phoneticsfal·low, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfæˌɫoʊ/
UK/fˈæləʊ/
Definitions
01agricultural land
C1 · Advanced Cooking Technical
adj. describes land that is ploughed but left empty for a season so the soil can become healthy again.
adj. referring to arable land that is ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for a duration to allow for natural nutrient replenishment.
“The farmer decided to leave the north field fallow this year to improve the soil.”
“Traditional crop rotation often requires a field to lie fallow for a full cycle to prevent the total exhaustion of nitrogen in the soil.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02inactive or unproductive
C2 · Proficiency Literary
adj. describes a period of time when you are not active, creative, or successful.
adj. used figuratively to describe a period of dormancy, inactivity, or lack of creative output.
“After his first successful book, the writer had a fallow period for three years.”
“The director's fallow decade was marked by several abandoned projects and a general retreat from the public eye.”
Antonyms
03uncultivated ground
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Technical
n. land that has been prepared for planting but is left empty for a while.
n. land that has been tilled or ploughed but left unseeded for a season; can refer to the state of the land or the land itself.
“The cattle were allowed to graze on the fallow during the summer months.”
“The management of fallow is crucial for moisture conservation in semi-arid agricultural regions.”
04to leave land empty
C2 · Proficiency Technical
v. to plough land and leave it without seeds so it can rest.
v. to plough or till land without sowing it, typically as part of a crop rotation strategy.
“It is common practice in this region to fallow the fields every third year.”
“By choosing to fallow the acreage rather than planting a cover crop, the farmer hoped to eradicate the persistent weed infestation.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, usually 'land' or 'field'.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“After a fallow season, it will return bigger and better than before, but there is an unavoidable period of rebuilding.” “Additionally, the researchers found that plants growing in pea-conditioned soil emitted almost twice as much indole as plants growing in fallow soil.” Etymology
[Alt: A photograph of a ploughed field.] From Middle English falwe, from Old English fealh, fealg (“fallow land”), from Proto-West Germanic falgu (compare Saterland Frisian Falge, West Frisian falig, felling, Dutch valg, German Felge), from Proto-Indo-European polḱéh₂ (“arable land”) (compare Gaulish olca, Russian полоса́ (polosá)).
From Middle English falowen, falwen, from Old English fealgian (“to fallow; break up land”), from Proto-West Germanic *falgōn (“to fallow”). Cognate with Dutch valgen (“to plow lightly; fallow”), German Low German falgen (“to till; dig a hole”).
[Alt: A photograph of a light brown deer.] From Middle English falwe, from Old English fealu, from Proto-West Germanic falu, from Proto-Germanic falwaz (compare West Frisian feal, Dutch vaal, German falb, fahl, French fauve), from Proto-Indo-European polwos (compare Lithuanian pal̃vas (“sallow, wan”), Russian поло́вый (polóvyj, “wan, light yellow”), Serbo-Croatian plâv (“blond, blue”), Ancient Greek πολιός (poliós, “grey”)), from Proto-Indo-European pelH- (“pale, gray”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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