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

In Brazil, huge swaths of the Amazon rainforest and Cerrado savanna have been lost to pastures and fields that produce beef and soybeans.

From Science Magazine

However, major landowners and landgrabbers often clear huge areas to use them as pastures or for arable farming.

From Science Daily

When the Dodgers abandoned New York for sunnier pastures, his father stayed loyal, unlike others who shifted allegiances.

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

The pastures give way to high desert that stretches toward the horizon.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• grass
• grazing
• meadow