Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FALL'ING-STAR, n.

A luminous meteor, suddenly appearing and darting through the air.

FALL-ING-STONE, n.

A stone falling from the atmosphere; a meteorite; an aerolite. Cyc.

FAL'LOW, a. [Sax. falewe, falu or fealo; D. vaal; G. falb, fahl; Fr. fauve, for falve; 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, which in Spanish is baldio.]

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. iv.
3. Left unsowed after plowing. The word is applied to the land after plowing.
4. Unplowed; uncultivated. Tooke. Shak.
5. Unoccupied; neglected. [Not in use.] Let the cause lie fallow. Hudibras.

FAL'LOW, n.

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 the fallows is a benefit to land. Mortimer.
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. Sinclair. A green fallow, in England, is that where land is rendered mellow and clean from weeds, by means of some green crop, as turneps, potatoes, &c. Cyc.

FAL'LOW, v.i.

To fade; to become yellow. [Obs.]

FAL'LOW, v.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.

FAL'LOW-CROP, n.

The crop taken from fallowed ground. Sinclair.

FAL'LOW-ED, pp.

Plowed and harrowed for a season, without being sown.

FAL'LOW-FINCH, n.

A small bird, the œnanthe or wheat ear.

FAL'LOW-ING, n.

The operation of plowing and harrowing land without sowing it. Fallowing is found to contribute to the destruction of snails and other vermin. Sinclair.

FAL'LOW-ING, ppr.

Plowing and harrowing land without sowing it.

FAL'LOW-IST, n.

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.] Sinclair.

FAL'LOW-NESS, n.

A fallow state; barrenness; exemption from bearing fruit. Donne.

FALS'A-RY, a. [See False.]

A falsifier of evidence. [Not in use.] Sheldon.

FALSE, a. [L. falsus, from fallo, to deceive; Sp. falso; It. id.; Fr. faux, fausse; Sax. false; D. valsch; G. falsch; Sw. and Dan. falsk; W. fals; Ir. falsa. See Fall and Fail.]

1. Not true; not conformable to fact; expressing what is contrary to that which exists, is done, said or thought. A false report communicates what is not done or said. A false accusation imputes to a person what he has not done or said. A false witness testifies what is not true. A false opinion is not according to truth or fact. The word is applicable to any subject physical or moral.
2. Not well founded; as, a false claim.
3. Not true; not according to the lawful standard; as, a false weight or measure.
4. Substituted for another; succedaneous; supposititious; as, a false bottom.
5. Counterfeit; forged; not genuine; as, false coin; a false bill or note.
6. Not solid or sound; deceiving expectations; as, a false foundation. False and slippery ground. Dryden.
7. Not agreeable to rule or propriety; as, false construction in language.
8. Not honest or just; not fair; as, false play.
9. Not faithful or loyal; treacherous; perfidious; deceitful. The king's subjects may prove false to him. So we say, a false heart.
10. Unfaithful; inconstant; as a false friend; a false lover; false to promises and vows. The husband and wife proved false to each other.
11. Deceitful; treacherous; betraying secrets.
12. Counterfeit; not genuine or real; as, a false diamond.
13. Hypocritical; feigned; made or assumed for the purpose of deception; as, false tears; false modesty. The man appears in false colors. The advocate gave the subject a false coloring. False fire, a blue flame, made by the burning of certain combustibles, in a wooden tube; used as a signal during the night. Mar. Dict. False imprisonment, the arrest and imprisonment of a person without warrant or cause, or contrary to law; or the unlawful detaining of a person in custody.

FALSE, adv.

Not truly; not honestly; falsely. Shak.

FALSE, v.t.

1. To violate by failure of veracity; to deceive. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. To defeat; to balk; to evade. [Obs.] Spenser

FALSE-FAC-ED, a.

Hypocritical.

FALSE-HEART, or FALSE-HEART-ED, a.

Hollow; treacherous; deceitful; perfidious. Bacon. [The former is not used.]

FALSE-HEART-ED-NESS, n.

Perfidiousness; treachery. Stillingfleet.

FALSE'HOOD, n. [fols'hood; false and hood.]

1. Contrariety or inconformity to fact or truth; as, the falsehood of a report.
2. Want of truth or veracity; a lie; an untrue assertion.
3. Want of honesty; treachery; deceitfulness; perfidy. Milton. But falsehood is properly applied to things only. [See Falseness.]
4. Counterfeit; false appearance; imposture. Milton.

FALSE'LY, adv. [fols'ly.]

1. In a manner contrary to truth and fact; not truly; as, to speak or swear falsely; to testify falsely.
2. Treacherously; perfidiously. Swear to me – that thou wilt not deal falsely with me. Gen. xxi.
3. Erroneously; by mistake. Smallridge.

FALSE'NESS, n. [fols'ness.]

1. Want of integrity and veracity, either in principle or in act; as, the falseness of a man's heart, or his falseness to his word.
2. Duplicity; deceit; double-dealing. Hammond.
3. Unfaithfulness; treachery; perfidy; traitorousness. The prince is in no danger of being betrayed by the falseness, or cheated by the avarice of such a servant. Rogers.

FALS'ER, n.

A deceiver. Spenser.

FAL-SETTE', n. [Fr.]

A false treble in music.