Fallow Definition, Usage & Common Examples

Meaning 1：left unplanted (fallow)

fallow 🔊

/ˈfæləʊ/

adj.

Describing farmland that is ploughed but not planted for a while, to let it rest and become fertile again.

Fallow land illustration showing an empty ploughed agricultural field for soil recovery

left unplanted 🔊

➕

/ˌleft ʌnˈplæntɪd/

adj.

Describes farmland that has been plowed but is intentionally not seeded for a period to allow the soil to recover its fertility.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English "fealh" (plowed land), possibly related to "fealo" (pale brown, fallow).

💡 Mnemonic

Think: The FALLOW field just FOLLOWS orders to rest—nothing is allowed to grow.

📖 Example

After three years of continuous corn planting, the farmer decided to leave the south field fallow this summer to improve soil health. 🔊 Following the harvest, the agricultural plot was deliberately left fallow for the entire season to rebuild its nutrient content.

🔗 Collocations

fallow land – Land that is currently not being used for growing crops.

leave fallow – To intentionally not plant crops on land.

lie fallow – To remain uncultivated for a period.

🔄 Synonyms

unused (adj.) – Not being used, but may not imply intentional rest for fertility.

idle (adj.) – Not active or in use.

uncultivated (adj.) – Not prepared for or used for growing crops.

🚫 Antonyms

cultivated (adj.) – Land prepared and used for growing crops.

planted (adj.) – Having seeds or crops placed in the soil to grow.

productive (adj.) – Yielding or producing abundantly.

🌱 Derivatives

fallowness (n.) – The state or quality of being fallow.

📖 Cultural Story

Historically, fallowing is a crucial practice in crop rotation to restore soil nutrients. The word's association with a pale brown color (like unplanted earth) from Old English persists in describing land left uncultivated for a season.