n. 1. The part of a horse's foot between the fetlock and hoof. 2. An analogous part of the leg of a dog or other quadruped. [Alteration of Middle English pastron, hobble, pastern, from Old French pasturon, diminutive of pasture, pasture, tether, alteration of *pastoire, from Latin pāstōria, feminine sing. of pāstōrius, of herdsmen, from pāstor, shepherd; see PASTOR.] |
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