fandom_grammar . Answer: pastor vs. pasture (Reply)

Welcome to another exciting segment of "Commonly Confused Words." Our mission for today -- if you choose to accept it, and you will -- is how to tell the difference between pastor and pasture, with the help of the denizens of Little House on the Prairie.
[I blame Big Red and Bring It On for that bit of snark. Forgive me.]

These two words sound roughly alike and share both a common Latin root and some letter placements, but are they interchangeable? No, they're not. So let's see where we can pinpoint the differences.

According to Dictionary.com, pastor typically refers to "a minister or priest in charge of a church." In Latin, it translates to "shepherd" and is usually used to refer to the type of work that both shepherds and church clergy do, i.e. tending to the needs of their flocks. While there is another, more obscure meaning to the word involving European and Asian starlings, we primarily use the meaning related to the clergy.

Charles smiled at the new family as he shook the man's hand. "I'm guessing you'll be wanting to meet Reverend Alden next. He's the pastor here in Walnut Grove."

Pasture, on the other hand, deals with land and animals. Pasture can refer either to the land itself or to the grass or other plants eaten by livestock. Typically, larger animals intended for meat or work [horses, cattle, sheep, etc.] are allowed to graze in pastures.

"Half Pint, you be careful taking Old Bessie out to the pasture in the back twenty," Charles called after her. "Edwards said he thought he heard a wolf the other night."

Additionally, both people and animals can be "put out to pasture" when they're deemed too old to do their job.