Collins English-English Dictionary

pastoral ['pɒːstərəl]

1. 1. n pastoral staff the crosier or staff carried by a bishop as a symbol of his pastoral responsibilities

2. 2. adj of, characterized by, or depicting rural life, scenery, etc

3. 3. adj (of a literary work) dealing with an idealized form of rural existence in a conventional way

4. 4. adj (of land) used for pasture

5. 5. adj denoting or relating to the branch of theology dealing with the duties of a clergyman or priest to his congregation

6. 6. adj of or relating to a clergyman or priest in charge of a congregation or his duties as such

7. 7. adj of or relating to a teacher's responsibility for the personal, as the distinct from the educational, development of pupils

8. 8. adj of or relating to shepherds, their work, etc

9. 9. n a literary work or picture portraying rural life, esp the lives of shepherds in an idealizing way - See also eclogue

10. 10. n a variant of pastorale

11. 11. n [music] [Christianity] a letter from a clergyman to the people under his charge

12. 12. n the letter of a bishop to the clergy or people of his diocese

13. 13. n [Etymology] C15: from Latin, from pastor