pasture
/ˈpɑː.stʃə/ IELTSAcademic
noun
An area of grassland where animals, especially cows and sheep, graze. It is often open land in the countryside.
- The cows were grazing in the pasture.
- Sheep moved slowly across the pasture.
- The farmer fenced off the pasture.
verb
To feed animals on grassland, or to let them eat grass there. This use is less common than the noun.
- He pastured the sheep near the river.
- The animals were pastured on open land.
- They pastured cattle through the summer.
Adinary Nuance
Pasture is more specific than field or land. A field can be any open area, but a pasture is land used for grazing animals. It is also different from meadow, which often means a natural grassy area, not necessarily for animals. In everyday English, pasture often sounds rural and agricultural.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- đồng cỏ
- Spanish
- pastizal
- Chinese
- 牧场
- Japanese
- 牧草地
- Korean
- 목초지
Etymology
Pasture comes from Old French pasture, from Latin pastura, meaning 'grazing' or 'feeding'. It entered English in the Middle Ages.
Common phrases
open pasturegrazing pasturemove to pastures new
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is pasture the same as a field?
- Not exactly. A pasture is a field used for animals to graze.
- Can I use pasture in writing?
- Yes. It is common in farming, geography, and rural descriptions.
- Is pasture a common everyday word?
- Yes, but it is more common in rural or agricultural contexts.
- What is the verb form of pasture?
- As a verb, it means to let animals eat grass on land.