fallow

C2+ Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈfæloʊ/ UK /ˈfæləʊ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like fellow /ɛ/ vs /æ/

Meanings

1

adj
(of land) left unplanted to restore fertility; inactive

They let the field lie fallow for a season.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · (of land) left unplanted to... uncultivateduntilledidle dormant inactive unused

Opposites

cultivated tilled productive active

Word family

Related forms fallowness

Etymology

From Old English 'fealh' ('fallow land, harrow'), related to 'fealg' ('plowed land'); the agricultural sense of land left to rest derives from Old English 'fealgian' ('to break up land for sowing'). Of Proto-Germanic origin.

fealh Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction

External links

# fallow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈfæloʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfæləʊ/

## Meanings
1. (of land) left unplanted to restore fertility; inactive

## Examples
- They let the field lie fallow for a season.

## Synonyms
- uncultivated
- untilled
- idle
- dormant
- inactive
- unused

## Antonyms
- cultivated
- tilled
- productive
- active

## Related Forms
- fallowness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: fealh

## Etymology
From Old English 'fealh' ('fallow land, harrow'), related to 'fealg' ('plowed land'); the agricultural sense of land left to rest derives from Old English 'fealgian' ('to break up land for sowing'). Of Proto-Germanic origin.

## AI Etymology
Fallow comes from Old English 'fealh' ('fallow land, harrow'), related to 'fealg' ('plowed land'); the agricultural sense of land left to rest derives from Old English 'fealgian' ('to break up land for sowing'). Of Proto-Germanic origin. The historical trail runs through Old English fealh. The later sense follows a semantic development already present in the word's history. In modern use it means (of land) left unplanted to restore fertility; inactive. Related forms include fallowness.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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