ˌpastəˈräl, -ral sometimes -älē noun
( -s )
Etymology: Italian, from pastorale of herdsmen, from Latin pastoralis
1.
a. : an opera of the 16th or 17th centuries combining singing and dancing and having a pastoral plot
b. : an instrumental or vocal composition having a pastoral theme
2. : pastoral 2a
a pastorale , written in homely, muted prose, about life on a farm — New Yorker