fallow
UK: ˈfæləʊ | US: ˈfæloʊ
adj. (of farmland) plowed but left unseeded for a season to restore fertility
adj. (of a period) inactive or unproductive
n. land left unseeded for a season
Derived from Old English fealh (fallow land), linked to the practice of letting fields "lie low" (rest) between plantings. The word’s evolution reflects agricultural logic: inactive land (adj.) → the land itself (n.). Unlike Latin-derived terms, its Germanic roots emphasize physical state over abstract concepts.
Farmers leave fields fallow to prevent soil depletion.
The writer’s fallow period ended with a burst of creativity.
Ancient civilizations practiced crop rotation with fallow years.
The brown, fallow earth contrasted with the lush green pastures.
His talents remained fallow until he found the right mentor.