Hypertext Webster Gateway: "fallow"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Fallow \Fal"low\, a. [AS. fealu, fealo, pale yellow or red; akin
to D. vaal fallow, faded, OHG. falo, G. falb, fahl, Icel.
f["o]lr, and prob. to Lith. palvas, OSlav. plav[u^] white, L.
pallidus pale, pallere to be pale, Gr. polio`s gray, Skr.
palita. Cf. {Pale}, {Favel}, a., {Favor}.]
1. Pale red or pale yellow; as, a fallow deer or greyhound.
--Shak.

2. [Cf. {Fallow}, n.] Left untilled or unsowed after plowing;
uncultivated; as, fallow ground.

{Fallow chat}, {Fallow finch} (Zo["o]l.), a small European
bird, the wheatear ({Saxicola [oe]nanthe}). See
{Wheatear}.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Fallow \Fal"low\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Fallowed}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Fallowing}.] [From {Fallow}, n.]
To plow, harrow, and break up, as land, without seeding, for
the purpose of destroying weeds and insects, and rendering it
mellow; as, it is profitable to fallow cold, strong, clayey
land.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Fallow \Fal"low\, n. [So called from the fallow, or somewhat
yellow, color of naked ground; or perh. akin to E. felly, n.,
cf. MHG. valgen to plow up, OHG. felga felly, harrow.]
1. Plowed land. [Obs.]

Who . . . pricketh his blind horse over the fallows.
--Chaucer.

2. Land that has lain a year or more untilled or unseeded;
land plowed without being sowed for the season.

The plowing of fallows is a benefit to land.
--Mortimer.

3. The plowing or tilling of land, without sowing it for a
season; as, summer fallow, properly conducted, has ever
been found a sure method of destroying weeds.

Be 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. --Sinclair.

{Fallow crop}, the crop taken from a green fallow. [Eng.]

{Green fallow}, fallow whereby land is rendered mellow and
clean from weeds, by cultivating some green crop, as
turnips, potatoes, etc. [Eng.]

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

fallow
adj 1: left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season; "fallow
farmland"
2: undeveloped but potentially useful; "a fallow gold market"
n : cultivated land that is not seeded for one or more growing
seasons

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