[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)).
Meanings
(of agricultural land) Ploughed but left unseeded for more than one planting season.
(of agricultural land) Left unworked and uncropped for some amount of time.
(figuratively) Inactive; undeveloped.
a fallow period in one's career
After two more homeland hits and a fallow two years, Pickettywitch was parked and junked. 1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 316:
fi kehittymätön (inactive, undeveloped) · fi kesannoitu (of land, left unseeded) · de brach (of land, left unseeded) · ota قیراچ (of land, left unseeded) · ga díomhaoin (inactive, undeveloped) · fi laiska (inactive, undeveloped) · pl odłogi (of land, left unseeded) · de unproduktiv (inactive, undeveloped) · de brachliegend (of land, left unseeded) · pl odłogowy (of land, left unseeded) · de unbestellt (of land, left unseeded) · fi joutilas (inactive, undeveloped) · nn brakk (of land, left unseeded) · bg незасят (of land, left unseeded) · fr en jachère (of land, left unseeded) · de brachliegend (inactive, undeveloped) · fi kesannolla (of land, left unseeded) · ga fódbhán (of land, left unseeded) · nl braakliggend (of land, left unseeded) · nb brakk (of land, left unseeded) · fr en friche (of land, left unseeded) · mi papatua (of land, left unseeded) · pl ugorowy (of land, left unseeded) · lb brooch (of land, left unseeded) · fr en friche (inactive, undeveloped)
[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)).
Meanings
(uncountable) Ground ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for one year.
Straight mine eye hath caught new pleasures
Whilst the landskip round it measures,
Russet lawns, and fallows gray,
Where the nibbling flocks do stray;
Mountains on whose barren breast
The labouring clouds do often rest;
Meadows trim with daisies pied,
Shallow brooks, and rivers wide. 1645, John Milton, L'Allegro:
(uncountable) Uncultivated land.
(countable, uncountable) The ploughing or tilling of land, without sowing it for a season.
By 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. 1832, Sir John Sinclair, The Code of Agriculture:
fi joutomaa (uncultivated land) · fr jachère (ground left unseeded for a year) · mk угар (uncultivated land) · lb Brooch (uncultivated land) · sh párlog (uncultivated land) · it maggese (ground left unseeded for a year) · de Grünbrache (ground left unseeded for a year) · pt terra inculta (uncultivated land) · an güerba (ground left unseeded for a year) · cs lado (uncultivated land) · wa trîxhe (uncultivated land) · pl ugór (ground left unseeded for a year) · fr friche (uncultivated land) · ang fealg (ground left unseeded for a year) · ota نطاس (ground left unseeded for a year) · wa trî (uncultivated land) · sq djerr (ground left unseeded for a year) · pox foľostă (ground left unseeded for a year) · ks درٛگُر (uncultivated land) · cs úhor (ground left unseeded for a year) · cmn 荒地 (uncultivated land) · bg у́гар (ground left unseeded for a year) · pl odłóg (uncultivated land) · gl poula (uncultivated land) · nl dries (ground left unseeded for a year) · mk прелог (ground left unseeded for a year) · ro moină (ground left unseeded for a year) · hu ugar (uncultivated land) · sh úgar (uncultivated land) · ka დაუთესავი მიწა (ground left unseeded for a year) · pl odłóg (ground left unseeded for a year) · es barbechada (ground left unseeded for a year) · nl braakland (ground left unseeded for a year) · nl valg (ground left unseeded for a year) · sh у́гар (ground left unseeded for a year) · ga branar (uncultivated land) · mi pātohe (uncultivated land) · la vervactum (ground left unseeded for a year) · grc νειός (ground left unseeded for a year) · et kesa (ground left unseeded for a year) · ga branar (ground left unseeded for a year) · da brak- (uncultivated land) · hu parlag (uncultivated land) · gl decoita (ground left unseeded for a year) · lt pūdymas (uncultivated land) · sh у́гар (uncultivated land) · mi papatua (uncultivated land) · es barbecho (ground left unseeded for a year) · es guamil (ground left unseeded for a year) · eo senkulturejo (uncultivated land) · pl ugór (uncultivated land) · wa djouxhire (ground left unseeded for a year) · nl valgeland (ground left unseeded for a year) · cs úhor (uncultivated land) · bg прелог (uncultivated land) · gl vougo (uncultivated land) · sk prieloh (ground left unseeded for a year) · es yermo (uncultivated land) · lt pūdymas (ground left unseeded for a year) · fa آیش (ground left unseeded for a year) · de Brache (uncultivated land) · sh úgar (ground left unseeded for a year) · ru пар (uncultivated land) · ka ნასვენი (ground left unseeded for a year) · hu parlag (ground left unseeded for a year) · sl ledina (ground left unseeded for a year) · gl rebouza (ground left unseeded for a year) · gl pallagueira (ground left unseeded for a year) · fi kesanto (ground left unseeded for a year) · gl barbeito (ground left unseeded for a year) · de Brachland (uncultivated land) · da brak (ground left unseeded for a year) · hy ցել (ground left unseeded for a year) · sl ledina (uncultivated land) · uk пар (ground left unseeded for a year) · de Kulturbrache (ground left unseeded for a year) · ru пар (ground left unseeded for a year) · ca guaret (ground left unseeded for a year) · lv papuve (ground left unseeded for a year) · sv trädesåker (ground left unseeded for a year) · sk prieloh (uncultivated land) · de Rotationsbrache (ground left unseeded for a year) · sk úhor (ground left unseeded for a year) · fi viljelemätön maa (uncultivated land) · lv papuve (uncultivated land) · gl coita (ground left unseeded for a year) · hu ugar (ground left unseeded for a year) · ka ანეული (ground left unseeded for a year) · mk угар (ground left unseeded for a year) · gl mato (uncultivated land) · pt pousio (ground left unseeded for a year) · ka ნასვენები მიწა (ground left unseeded for a year) · sv träda (ground left unseeded for a year) · cmn 休耕地 (ground left unseeded for a year) · eo novalo (ground left unseeded for a year) · cs lada (uncultivated land) · tr nadas (ground left unseeded for a year) · gl touza (uncultivated land) · mi pātohe (ground left unseeded for a year) · gl bouza (uncultivated land) · et sööt (uncultivated land) · sh па́рлог (uncultivated land)
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”).
Meanings
(transitive) To make land fallow for agricultural purposes.
it maggesare (plough land without sowing seeds) · bg разоравам (plough land without sowing seeds) · pl ugorować (plough land without sowing seeds) · fi kesannoida (plough land without sowing seeds) · es barbechar (plough land without sowing seeds) · es abarbechar (plough land without sowing seeds) · pl odłogować (plough land without sowing seeds) · de brachlegen (plough land without sowing seeds)
[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”).
Meanings
Of a pale red or yellow, light brown; dun.
How does your fallow greyhound, sir? a. 1597, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, act 1, scene 1: