Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The state of being fallow.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun U.S. A well or opening, through the successive floors of a warehouse or manufactory, through which goods are raised or lowered.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The state or quality of being fallow.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

fallow +‎ -ness

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word fallowness.

Examples

  • The Earth and all the things in nature take sabbaths – for example the fallowness of winter, the stasis of dry seasons, or the hibernation of some animals.

    The Sensibility of Sabbaths for Sustainable Living 2008

  • All this to say, dear Ian: remember in those periods of fallowness that you have got boatloads of people who take inspiration from what you do, and that it is a vital, crucial, irrevocable ingredient in making this world a better place.

    tantalus 2005

  • He regarded the creases in the face, the fallowness in the blond hair.

    Genesis ANDERSON, Poul 2000

  • In this way you experience a singular repose, after which fallowness I am sure one is fitter for action and judgement.

    The Path to Rome Hilaire Belloc 1911

  • He drew a chair to the side of the bed and sat down, terrified by the utter fallowness of his mind.

    The Ragged Edge Harold MacGrath 1901

  • In his earlier youth he had been a good deal given to meditation, a habit which is frequently a mere sign of mental fallowness; now that his mind was wearied with the accumulation of a little learning, it knew what work meant, and did not work except when compelled.

    The Mermaid A Love Tale Lily Dougall 1890

  • During this period of fallowness we were grateful for the opportunity to suspend the grantmaking cycle, evaluate past decisions, and consider what unique niche could Bridgeway fill as an engaged funding partner to charities in Canada.

    Open hands 2008

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.