pasture

1 of 2

noun

pas·​ture ˈpas-chər How to pronounce pasture (audio)
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

transitive verb

1
: to feed (animals, such as cattle) on pasture
2
: to use as pasture

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
An original barn from 1908 is accompanied by a more modern 5,000-square-foot steel barn, along with pastures and a riding arena. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 June 2025 Through the porthole, Junior watches the apple trees drop away into seamless white horse pasture, the top rung of the fence riding above the snow alongside the road, bobbing and snaking with an unevenness accentuated by the flatness of the snow, his father talking still. Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
Verb
But, having the right formula for long-term success remains elusive for many, with Canoo, Fisker and Nikola all put out to pasture with bankruptcy filings. Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025 Grab a brush and head out to pasture to meet cows like the affable Ellie, a 5-year-old Highland who loves the limelight, and Bonnie, the independent matriarch. Chrissy Suttles, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pasture

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pasture was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pasture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pasture. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

pasture

1 of 2 noun
pas·​ture ˈpas-chər How to pronounce pasture (audio)
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
2
: to feed (as cattle) on pasture

More from Merriam-Webster on pasture

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