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Fallow vs Gallow - What's the difference?

fallow | gallow |

As verbs the difference between fallow and gallow

is that fallow is to make land fallow for agricultural purposes while gallow is (obsolete) to frighten.

As a noun fallow

is (agriculture|uncountable) ground ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for one year.

As an adjective fallow

is (of agricultural land) ploughed but left unseeded for more than one planting season or fallow can be of a pale red or yellow, light brown; dun.

fallow

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) falow, from (etyl) ).

Noun

  • (agriculture, uncountable) Ground ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for one year.
  • (agriculture, uncountable) Uncultivated land.
  • (agriculture, obsolete, countable) An area of fallow land.
  • The ploughing or tilling of land, without sowing it for a season.
  • * Sinclair
  • 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.
    Derived terms
    * bastard fallow * cropped fallow * dead-fallow * ecofallow * fallow-break * fallow chat * fallow crop * fallow-field * fallow finch * fallow ground * fallowist * fallow land * green fallow * pin-fallow * rag-fallow * summer fallow * winter fallow

    Adjective

    (head)
  • (of agricultural land) Ploughed but left unseeded for more than one planting season.
  • Inactive; undeveloped.
  • Derived terms
    * apple-fallow * fallow chat * fallow finch * fallowness * lay fallow * lie fallow

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make land fallow for agricultural purposes.
  • Derived terms
    * fallowed * fallowing * re-fallow * thry-fallow * trifallow * twifallow, twyfallow

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) falwe, from (etyl) fealu, from (etyl) 'pale'.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of a pale red or yellow, light brown; dun.
  • a fallow deer or greyhound
    (Shakespeare)

    gallow

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) to frighten
  • * 1605': The wrathful skies / '''Gallow the very wanderers of the dark / And make them keep their caves. — William Shakespeare, ''King Lear III.ii
  • See also

    * gallows