pastor

USPAS-tur/ˈpæstɚ/UKPAH-stuh/ˈpɑːstə/

Verbpastors, pastoring, pastored

5 meanings of pastor

1
nouncountable
A church leader who guides worship and cares for a group of believers.
Like a teacher who guides a class, but for a group of believers.
Our pastor visited the family after the funeral.
The new pastor welcomed everyone with a warm smile.
Similarminister, priest, shepherd, elder
Note
2
nounUScountable
The head priest in charge of a local Catholic church and its members.
Like the manager who is in charge of one local store.
The pastor of our parish blessed the new building.
Father Reyes became pastor of the downtown parish last spring.
Similarpriest, shepherd
Note
3
verbtransitive or intransitive
To lead and care for a church group as its minister.
Like a coach who guides and looks after a team.
She hopes to pastor a small church one day.
He pastored the same congregation for thirty years.
Similarlead, shepherd, serve
Note
4
nouncountable
A pink-and-black songbird that travels in large flocks across parts of Europe and Asia.
Like a small bird wearing a pink coat with a black head.
A pastor landed on the fence, its pink feathers bright in the sun.
We spotted a pastor feeding among a flock of starlings.
Note

Less common meaning

5
nounarchaic
A person who looks after a flock of sheep or other grazing animals.
Like a person who guards and guides a herd of cows in a field.
The pastor drove his sheep up the hillside at dawn.
Each morning the pastor counted his flock before letting them graze.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Latin "pāstor," which came into English through Old French and Middle English.