Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FALLOW
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pronounce
FALLOW:
Say it "FAL oh."
It rhymes with "shallow."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Our word fallow is a homograph: it has two totally separate meanings, each with its own origin.
Something fallow is unused, inactive, not being taken advantage of. That's the meaning we'll focus on today.
But fallow can also mean "pale brown, or reddish-yellow," like this fallow deer:
(Thanks for the picture, Wikipedia!)
Speaking of deer and their colorings, see if you can recall a word to describe the hair of the deer below:
That word is p____ld, meaning "spotty or patchy with different colors, especially both dark and light ones--or, figuratively, made up of various parts that seem slapped together."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
We took the word "fallow" from Old English, where it meant "land that has been plowed (but not used for planting)."
Literally speaking, fallow land is not currently being used to grow crops.
And figuratively speaking, fallow things are currently not active, or currently not being used.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "the fallow field;" "That land lay fallow for so long."
Other forms:
fallowness
how to use it:
Pick the semi-common word "fallow" when you want to get metaphorical and compare something to unused land: to say that it's empty and inactive, and perhaps resting, but still full of potential for future growth.
Often we talk literally about fallow land ("a fallow garden," "this fallow field"), or about land lying fallow.
Figurative things can lie fallow, too: a fallow mind, a fallow market, a fallow career; "Her vocabulary lay fallow all through these dull years of menial labor."
We also talk about a fallow period of time: "a fallow year," "that fallow stretch of his career."
examples:
"Two years ago, she let the garden lie fallow to rest the soil and break the cycle of pests, an important technique in this all-organic garden."
— Valerie Easton, Seattle Times, 10 October 2020
"Obviously enamored with her subject, Golia avoids matters that might not reflect as well on him, such as his various fallow periods or the quality of his violin playing and his painting."
— David Hajdu, New York Times, 29 May 2020
has this page helped you understand "fallow"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "fallow" without saying "dormant" or "quiescent."
try it out:
A writer for the Washington Times talked about why it might be a good value to buy one of those memberships to a movie theater:
"It's OK to binge for a month or two and then let your membership lie fallow for a few months, so long as you're still averaging a few movies a month."
What's another example of a membership or an expense that you might let lie fallow for a while? Is it still a good value? How long might you let it lie fallow before it becomes a waste of money?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for November is "SpongeBob Shakespeare."
Check out the goofy quote below. Is it from SpongeBob Squarepants, or is it a modern-English version of a quote from Shakespeare?
I'll list the answer at the bottom of each issue. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
One character: "That hat makes you look like a girl."
Another character: "Am I a pretty girl?"
review this word:
1. A near opposite of FALLOW is
A. WELL-MET.
B. WELL-UTILIZED.
C. WELL-THOUGHT-OUT.
2. Describing the Capitol, a writer for Fox News said, "It’s sometimes eerie, seeing these gigantic, ornate spaces, constructed for public appreciation, now _____ fallow due to coronavirus."
A. lying
B. sitting
C. looking
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Say it "FAL oh."
Our word fallow is a homograph: it has two totally separate meanings, each with its own origin.
We took the word "fallow" from Old English, where it meant "land that has been plowed (but not used for planting)."
Part of speech:
Pick the semi-common word "fallow" when you want to get metaphorical and compare something to unused land: to say that it's empty and inactive, and perhaps resting, but still full of potential for future growth.
"Two years ago, she let the garden lie fallow to rest the soil and break the cycle of pests, an important technique in this all-organic garden."
Explain the meaning of "fallow" without saying "dormant" or "quiescent."
A writer for the Washington Times talked about why it might be a good value to buy one of those memberships to a movie theater:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
1. A near opposite of FALLOW is
|