King James Bible Dictionary

FAL'LOW, adjective [Latin 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. Jeremiah 4:3.

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, etc.

FAL'LOW, verb intransitive To fade; to become yellow. obsolete

FAL'LOW, verb transitive 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.

(called fallow from its reddish-brown color) (Heb. yachmur). The Hebrew word, which is mentioned only in (14:5) and 1 Kings 4:23 Probably denotes the Alcelaphus bubalis (the bubale or wild cow) of Barbary and North Africa. It is about the size of a stag, and lives in herds. It is almost exactly like the European roebuck, and is valued for its venison.

FAL'LOW-CROP, noun The crop taken from fallowed ground.

Deuteronomy 14:5 (R.V., "Wild goat"); 1 Kings 4:23 (R.V., "roebucks"). This animal, called in Hebrew yahmur, from a word meaning "to be red," is regarded by some as the common fallow-deer, the Cervus dama, which is said to be found very generally over Western and Southern Asia. It is called "fallow" from its pale-red or yellow colour. Some interpreters, however, regard the name as designating the bubale, Antelope bubale, the "wild cow" of North Africa, which is about the size of a stag, like the hartebeest of South Africa. A species of deer has been found at Mount Carmel which is called yahmur by the Arabs. It is said to be similar to the European roebuck.

FAL'LOWED, participle passive Plowed and harrowed for a season, without being sown.

FAL'LOW-FINCH, noun A small bird, the oenanthe or wheat-ear.

The expression, "Break up your fallow ground" (Hosea 10:12; Jeremiah 4:3) means, "Do not sow your seed among thorns", i.e., break off all your evil habits; clear your hearts of weeds, in order that they may be prepared for the seed of righteousness. Land was allowed to lie fallow that it might become more fruitful; but when in this condition, it soon became overgrown with thorns and weeds. The cultivator of the soil was careful to "break up" his fallow ground, i.e., to clear the field of weeds, before sowing seed in it. So says the prophet, "Break off your evil ways, repent of your sins, cease to do evil, and then the good seed of the word will have room to grow and bear fruit."

FAL'LOWING, participle present tense Plowing and harrowing land without sowing it.

FAL'LOWING, noun The operation of plowing and harrowing land without sowing it. fallowing is found to contribute to the destruction of snails and other vermin.

FAL'LOWIST, noun One who favors the practice of fallowing land.

On this subject, a controversy has arisen between two sects, the fallowists and the anti-fallowists. [Unusual.]

FAL'LOWNESS, noun A fallow state; barrenness; exemption from bearing fruit.