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Webster 1913 Edition

Fallow

Fal′low

,
Adj.
[AS.
fealu
,
fealo
, pale yellow or red; akin to D.
vaal
fallow, faded, OHG.
falo
, G.
falb
,
fahl
, Icel.
fölr
, and prob. to Lith.
palvas
, OSlav.
plavŭ
white, L.
pallidus
pale,
pallere
to be pale, Gr.
πολιόσ
gray, Skr.
palita
. Cf.
Pale
,
Favel
,
Adj.
,
Favor
.]
1.
Pale red or pale yellow;
as, a
fallow
deer or greyhound
.
Shak.
2.
[Cf.
Fallow
,
Noun.
]
Left untilled or unsowed after plowing; uncultivated;
as,
fallow
ground
.
Fallow chat
,
Fallow finch
(Zool.)
,
a small European bird, the wheatear (
Saxicola œnanthe
). See
Wheatear
.

Fal′low

,
Noun.
[So called from the
fallow
, or somewhat yellow, color of naked ground; or perh. akin to E.
felly
,
Noun.
, 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.]

Fal′low

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Fallowed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Fallowing
.]
[From
Fallow
,
Noun.
]
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
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Fallow

FAL'LOW

,
Adj.
[L. fulvus; qu. helvus, for felvus. This word may be from the root of fail, fallo; so called from the fading color of autumnal leaves, or from failure, withering. Hence also the sense of unoccupied, applied to land.]
1.
Pale red or pale yellow; as a fallow deer.
2.
Unsowed; not tilled; left to rest after a year or more of tillage; as fallow ground; a fallow field.
Break up your fallow ground. Jer. 4.
3.
Left unsowed after plowing. The word is applied to the land after plowing.
4.
Unplowed; uncultivated.
5.
Unoccupied; neglected. [Not in use.]
Let the cause lie fallow.

FAL'LOW

,
Noun.
1.
Land that has lain a year or more untilled or unseeded. It is also called fallow when plowed without being sowed.
The plowing of fallows is a benefit to land.
2.
The plowing or tilling of land, without sowing it, for a season. Summer fallow, properly conducted, has ever been found a sure method of destroying weeds.
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.
A green fallow, in England, is that where land is rendered mellow and clean from weeks, by means of some green crop, as turnips, potatoes, &c.

FAL'LOW

,
Verb.
I.
To fade; to become yellow. Obs.

FAL'LOW

,
Verb.
T.
To plow, harrow and break land without seeding it, for the purpose of destroying weeds and insects, and rendering it mellow. It is found for the interest of the farmer to fallow cold, strong, clayey land.

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