pasture

1 of 2

noun

pas·​ture ˈpas-chər 

1

: plants (such as grass) grown for the feeding especially of grazing animals

2

: land or a plot of land used for grazing

3

: the feeding of livestock : grazing

pasture

2 of 2

verb

pastured; pasturing

intransitive verb

: graze, browse

transitive verb

1

: to feed (animals, such as cattle) on pasture

2

: to use as pasture

Synonyms

Noun

• lea
• ley
• pasturage
• range

Verb

• browse
• forage
• graze
• rustle

Examples of pasture in a Sentence

Noun

The horses were grazing in the pasture.

Most of their land is pasture.

Verb

The horses are pastured on several acres of land.

pasturing sheep on town lands was actually a cheaper alternative to mowing

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For almost 300 pages, Phillips wends along the vague barrier that separates pasture from forest, reason from madness. —Ron Charles, Washington Post, 18 June 2024

In fall 2021, the 69-year-old climbed a ladder to the top of a shed in her pasture. —Kff Health News, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2024

Verb

This is when the wranglers round up the thundering herd of horses to bring them into the ranch for trail rides during the day and take them back out to pasture in the evening. —Gwen Pratesi, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2024

The group raised ducks and chickens and pastured their 150 sheep on the same hills the Palestinian shepherds had roamed before the war. —Ben Hubbard Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 1 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin pastura, from Latin pastus, past participle of pascere to feed — more at food

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing pasture

• put out to pasture

Kids Definition

pasture

1 of 2 noun

pas·​ture ˈpas-chər 

1

: plants (as grass) for feeding especially grazing animals

2

: land or a plot of land used for grazing

pasture

2 of 2 verb

pastured; pasturing

1

: graze entry 1 sense 1

2

: to feed (as cattle) on pasture