pasture

¹

[ pas-cher, pahs- ]

noun

1. Also called pas·ture·land [pas, -cher-land, pahs, -]. an area covered with grass or other plants used or suitable for the grazing of livestock; grassland.
2. a specific area or piece of such ground.
3. grass or other plants for feeding livestock.

verb (used with object)

, pas·tured, pas·tur·ing.

1. to feed (livestock) by putting them out to graze on pasture.
2. (of land) to furnish with pasture.
3. (of livestock) to graze upon.

verb (used without object)

, pas·tured, pas·tur·ing.

1. (of livestock) to graze in a pasture.

Pasture

²

[ French pah-tyr ]

noun

1. Ro·gi·er [r, aw-zhee-, ey] or Ro·ger [r, aw-, zhey] de la [d, uh, -l, a]. Weyden, Rogier van der.

pasture

/ ˈpɑːstʃə /

noun

1. land covered with grass or herbage and grazed by or suitable for grazing by livestock
2. a specific tract of such land
3. the grass or herbage growing on it

verb

1. tr to cause (livestock) to graze or (of livestock) to graze (a pasture)

Other Words From

• pastur·al adjective
• pasture·less adjective
• pastur·er noun
• un·pastured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pasture¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Middle French < Late Latin pāstūra, equivalent to Latin pāst ( us ), past participle of pāscere to feed, pasture ( pastor ) + -ūra -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of pasture¹

C13: via Old French from Late Latin pāstūra, from pascere to feed

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. put out to pasture,
   1. to put in a pasture to graze.
   2. to dismiss, retire, or use sparingly as being past one's or its prime:

      Most of our older employees don't want to be put out to pasture.

More idioms and phrases containing pasture

see put out to grass (pasture) .

Example Sentences

Every time I think of my old idea of midlife — that dreary pasture full of drab linens — laughter bubbles out of me.

From Los Angeles Times

The couple, who live in Cerne Abbas, struck deals with several owners of permanent pasture land, but were only able to expand their operation after securing grazing of winter cover crops on arable farms.

From BBC

“I was just set out to pasture. I had no plausible hope for the future. I was just trying to be a good mom and morally upright citizen, turn my face to the wall and die. That, literally, was the plan,” she recalls.

From Los Angeles Times

Fire management isn’t just about protecting communities from catastrophic wildfire: It has myriad added boons like tick and other pest reduction, improved nutrient cycling, and better pasture growth.

From Salon

There is also Business Relief for Inheritance Tax, and Agricultural Relief, which allows land or pasture that is used to grow crops or to rear animals to be free of Inheritance Tax.

From BBC

Related Words

• grass
• grazing
• meadow