1 C1 idiomatic informal
To retire or remove a person or animal from active service because they are considered too old or unproductive.
"After thirty years on the job, management hinted it was time to pasture him out."
separable
pasture out
C1 informal separable transitive
To retire or dismiss a person or animal that is considered too old or no longer productive.
In plain English
To tell someone they are too old to keep working and should retire, like sending an old horse to a field.
What does "pasture out" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To send an animal out to graze in a pasture when it is too old to work.
Actually means
To tell someone they are too old to keep working and should retire, like sending an old horse to a field.
Usage tip
A shortened or back-formed version of the idiom 'put out to pasture'. Relatively rare as a standalone phrasal verb. Slightly dismissive or humorous in tone. More commonly encountered in agricultural contexts for animals.
Words that pair with "pasture out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
horse athlete employee veteran machine politician
How to conjugate "pasture out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
pasture out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pastures out
he/she/it
Past simple
pastured out
yesterday
Past participle
pastured out
have + pp
-ing form
pasturing out
continuous
Hear "pasture out" in the wild
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