pace

1
[ peys ]
See synonyms for: pacepacing on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a rate of movement, especially in stepping, walking, etc.: To raise your heart rate, walk at a brisk pace of five miles an hour.

  2. a rate of activity, progress, growth, performance, etc.; tempo: The pace of the building's construction had slowed almost to a halt.

  1. any of various standard linear measures, representing the space naturally measured by the movement of the feet in walking: roughly 30 to 40 inches (75 centimeters to 1 meter).: Compare geometrical pace, military pace, Roman pace.

  2. a single step: She took three paces in the direction of the door.

  3. the distance covered in a step: Stand six paces inside the gates.

  4. a manner of stepping; gait.

  5. a gait of a horse or other animal in which the feet on the same side are lifted and put down together.

  6. any of the gaits of a horse.

  7. a raised step or platform.

verb (used with object),paced, pac·ing.
  1. to set the rate of movement for, as in racing.

  2. to traverse or go over with steps: He paced the floor nervously.

  1. to measure by steps or by any of various standard linear measures representing the space naturally measured by the movement of the feet in walking.

  2. to train to a certain pace; exercise in pacing: to pace a horse.

  3. (of a horse) to run (a distance) at a pace: Hanover II paced a mile.

verb (used without object),paced, pac·ing.
  1. to take slow, regular steps.

  2. to walk up and down nervously, as to expend nervous energy.

  1. (of a horse) to go at a pace.

Idioms about pace

  1. put through one's paces, to cause someone to demonstrate their ability or to show their skill: The French teacher put her students through their paces for the visitors.

  2. set the pace, to act as an example for others to equal or rival; be the most progressive or successful: an agency that sets the pace in advertising.

Origin of pace

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English pas, from Old French, from Latin passus “step, pace,” equivalent to pad-, variant stem of pandere “to spread (the legs, in walking)” + -tus suffix of verbal action, with dt becoming ss

synonym study For pace

15. Pace, plod, trudge refer to a steady and monotonous kind of walking. Pace suggests steady, measured steps as of one completely lost in thought or impelled by some distraction: to pace up and down. Plod implies a slow, heavy, laborious, weary walk: The mailman plods his weary way. Trudge implies a spiritless but usually steady and doggedly persistent walk: The farmer trudged to his village to buy his supplies.

Other words for pace

Opposites for pace

Words Nearby pace

Other definitions for pace (2 of 2)

pace2
[ pey-see, pah-chey; Latin pah-ke ]

preposition
  1. with all due respect to; with the permission of: I do not, pace my rival, hold with the ideas of the reactionists.

Origin of pace

2
First recorded in 1860–65; from Latin pāce “in peace, by favor” (ablative singular of pāx “favor, pardon, grace, peace

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pace in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pace (1 of 3)

pace1

/ (peɪs) /


noun
    • a single step in walking

    • the distance covered by a step

  1. a measure of length equal to the average length of a stride, approximately 3 feet: See also Roman pace, geometric pace, military pace

  1. speed of movement, esp of walking or running

  2. rate or style of proceeding at some activity: to live at a fast pace

  3. manner or action of stepping, walking, etc; gait

  4. any of the manners in which a horse or other quadruped walks or runs, the three principal paces being the walk, trot, and canter (or gallop)

  5. a manner of moving, natural to the camel and sometimes developed in the horse, in which the two legs on the same side of the body are moved and put down at the same time

  6. architect a step or small raised platform

  7. keep pace with to proceed at the same speed as

  8. put someone through his paces to test the ability of someone

  9. set the pace to determine the rate at which a group runs or walks or proceeds at some other activity

  10. stand the pace or stay the pace to keep up with the speed or rate of others

verb
  1. (tr) to set or determine the pace for, as in a race

  2. (often foll by about, up and down, etc) to walk with regular slow or fast paces, as in boredom, agitation, etc: to pace the room

  1. (tr often foll by out) to measure by paces: to pace out the distance

  2. (intr) to walk with slow regular strides: to pace along the street

  3. (intr) (of a horse) to move at the pace (the specially developed gait)

Origin of pace

1
C13: via Old French from Latin passūs step, from pandere to spread, unfold, extend (the legs as in walking)

British Dictionary definitions for pace (2 of 3)

pace2

/ Latin (ˈpɑːkɛ, ˈpɑːtʃɛ, English ˈpeɪsɪ) /


preposition
  1. with due deference to: used to acknowledge politely someone who disagrees with the speaker or writer

Origin of pace

2
C19: from Latin, from pāx peace

British Dictionary definitions for PACE (3 of 3)

PACE

/ (peɪs) /


n acronym for(in England and Wales)
  1. Police and Criminal Evidence Act

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with pace

pace

see change of pace; keep pace; put someone through his or her paces; set the pace; snail's pace.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.