Pasture of variable acreage (3)
I believe the answer is:
lea
'pasture' is the definition.
(both can mean a field)
'of variable acreage' is the wordplay.
'of' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'LEA' is hidden in the letters of 'variable acreage'.
(Other definitions for lea that I've seen before include "Pasture, London river" , "Meadow (poetic)" , "Grazing land" , "River flowing through London" , "Open pasture" .)