Refers to land used for grazing livestock, especially cattle or horses. Often used in agricultural or geographical contexts.
The farmer let the cattle loose in the pasture.
Vast pasture lands stretch across this region.
牧野で牛が草を食べている。
Cows are grazing in the pasture.
I rode a horse through the wide pasture.
放牧地 specifically means land set aside for animals to graze freely, whereas 牧野 is a broader, more literary term for pastureland in general.
草原 refers to natural grassland or prairie without implying livestock use, while 牧野 specifically denotes land used for grazing animals.
Compound of 牧 (boku, 'grazing, pasture') and 野 (ya, 'field, plain'). The reading ぼくや follows standard on'yomi for both characters.