What does pasture mean?
Pasture denotes both a tract of land suitable for grazing and the grass or other herbage on which livestock feed. The word is especially associated with cattle, sheep, and other domesticated animals and can describe the practice of grazing as well as the place where it happens. In its verb form, pasture usually takes an animal or group of animals as its object: a farmer might pasture cattle on common land or move sheep to better pasture. Although synonyms such as meadow and grassland may suggest particular kinds of open land, pasture is broader and emphasizes its use by grazing animals. The term also has literary associations through the pastoral tradition, which idealizes rural life and shepherds. Its usefulness lies in connecting land, livestock, and the ancient human practice of allowing animals to feed directly on vegetation.
Land where livestock graze; the grass or herbage on which grazing animals feed.
"The hills provide rich pasture for cattle throughout the summer."
The word can refer to the land itself, the vegetation on it, or, less commonly, the activity of grazing.
To put livestock on land to graze, or to graze on such land.
"They pasture their horses on the common after the harvest."
The transitive form "pasture cattle" is standard; the verb is often more formal than the simpler "graze."
Used when referring to multiple areas of grazing land.
"The farms contain several pastures separated by hedgerows."
Pasture links the idea of open land with the survival of domesticated animals, and it is also the word behind the pastoral tradition of writing about rural life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pasture come from?
The word comes from the Latin pastura, meaning "a place where cattle are fed" or "grazing." This noun is derived from pastus, the past participle of pascere, "to feed," giving English related forms such as pastoral and pasturage. The verb meaning "to graze" developed alongside the noun and preserves the same underlying association with feeding animals on open land.
Related word forms
How pasture is actually used
As a noun, pasture can refer either to the land itself or to the grass growing on it. As a verb, it is commonly transitive, as in "pasture cattle," and can sound more formal or literary than "graze."