pasture

noun pas·ture \ ˈpas-chər \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of pasture

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

See pasture defined for English-language learners

See pasture defined for kids

Examples of pasture in a Sentence

The horses were grazing in the pasture.
Most of their land is pasture.

Recent Examples of pasture from the Web

The nine-night Karakorum to White Lake package departs from the capital of Ulaanbaatar and takes travelers on a tour of the Mongolian countryside’s rolling pastures, sweeping sand dunes, and open steppes.

— ashlea halpern, The Cut, "12 Epic, All-Inclusive Honeymoon Itineraries," 11 Apr. 2018
Full story here --> https://t.co/Btly7Moc9X pic.twitter.com/yt5haGciCQ — SPCA of Texas (@spcaoftexas) April 10, 2018 Half of the animals were found roaming on a large, fenced pasture on the property with little or no access to food or water.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram, "Amid ‘a sea of dead horses,’ 87 animals seized from East Texas pastures, SPCA says | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 11 Apr. 2018
While heritage pork is often pasture-raised, not all necessarily is.

— jennifer rude klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Hog wild for heritage pork: Comeback breeds appeal to today's consumers," 16 Mar. 2018
Rolling Hills ticks all of those boxes, and then some, by setting aside acres of land — in a region facing a critical shortage of new housing — to provide pastures and riding trails for horses.

— scott garner, latimes.com, "Neighborhood Spotlight: Rolling Hills' luxury overflows onto the outdoors," 16 Mar. 2018
The Jerry Built cow across from West University Place is being put out to pasture.

— katherine feser, Houston Chronicle, "Jerry Built cow to be part of Texas Pipe & Supply sculpture garden," 2 Feb. 2018
An historic farmhouse near Providence Estates East in south Charlotte has been saved from destruction a second time, despite plans to build multiple homes on the pasture surrounding it.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Fate of 1800s farmhouse near south Charlotte’s Providence Estates East is decided," 29 Jan. 2018
The DeKalbs also recounted that three months after the family moved into the home on 2 acres with a fenced pasture last May, one of the girls rang their doorbell at 1:30 a.m.

— Time, "Family of 8 Had Raised Some Worries Before Mysterious Cliff Crash in California," 29 Mar. 2018
The DeKalbs also recounted that three months after the family moved into the home on 2 acres with a fenced pasture in May 2017, one of the girls rang their doorbell at 1:30 a.m.

— Washington Post, "Friends, neighbors vary on family killed in cliff fall," 29 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pasture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pasture

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

pasture Synonyms

Synonyms

lea (or ley), pasturage, range;

Related Words

ranch, station;

feedlot, stockyard, yard;

grassland, pampas, prairie, savanna (also savannah), steppe;

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

fallow, graft, heirloom, loam, potash, soilage, swath, tilth, windfall

pasture

verb

Definition of pasture

pastured; pasturing

intransitive verb

: graze, browse

transitive verb

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

2 : to use as pasture

See pasture defined for English-language learners

Examples of pasture in a Sentence

The horses are pastured on several acres of land.
pasturing sheep on town lands was actually a cheaper alternative to mowing

Recent Examples of pasture from the Web

Prepared and served free-range chicken and pastured beef and pork.

— Southern Living, "A Loving Tribute to a True Southern Food Legend," 13 Apr. 2018
The additional label, which does not yet have a name or wording, would indicate that a tomato, for example, has been grown in soil, and that meat and dairy products came from farms that pasture their animals.

— Fox News, "'True' organic food will soon get even more labels," 10 Apr. 2018
That means helping farmers make a full-time living raising tomatoes and greens or pastured pork or eggs.

— polly campbell, Cincinnati.com, "The perseverance of Alice Chalmers and Ohio Valley Food Connection," 25 Jan. 2018
A steep, slippery descent on the Italian side that’s hemmed in by precipices and bottoms out in a valley suitable for pasturing horses and pack animals.

— Smithsonian, "How (and Where) Did Hannibal Cross the Alps?," 28 June 2017
In the past, many Qatari families have simply pastured their camels in Saudi Arabia, traveling back and forth across the border to tend to their livestock.

— chicagotribune.com, "Saudi Arabia deports 15,000 Qatari camels," 21 June 2017
A horse was pastured beyond the windbreak, a line of spindly willows alongside his yard.

— lynn freehill-maye, New York Times, "David Foster Wallace’s Peaceful Prairie," 29 Nov. 2016
A 5,500-mile-square peninsula in the Persian Gulf, Qatar has little land to pasture its camels, which are a backbone of traditional culture and recreation there.

— chicagotribune.com, "Saudi Arabia deports 15,000 Qatari camels," 21 June 2017
He was pastured close to the field while the cannons were being shot.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Huntington Homestead Holds Revolutionary War Artillery Training," 23 May 2017