pace

pace¹ W3 [peıs] n

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1¦(speed of events/changes)¦

2¦(walk/run)¦

3¦(step)¦

4 keep pace (with something/somebody)

5 go through your paces

6 put somebody/something through their paces

7 set the pace

8 force the pace

9 be able to stand the pace

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[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: pas 'step', from Latin passus]

1.) ¦(SPEED OF EVENTS/CHANGES)¦ [singular]

the speed at which something happens or is done

▪ The pace of change in our lives is becoming faster and faster.

▪ Here in Bermuda, the pace of life is very slow.

▪ Public spending continues to rise at a steady pace .

▪ Children learn best by studying at their own pace .

▪ The company had been growing at breakneck pace until last year.

▪ Support for European unity began to gather pace .

▪ If they can keep up the pace , they should have finished by early next week.

▪ Things are changing, but at a snail's pace .

2.) ¦(WALK/RUN)¦ [singular]

the speed at which someone walks, runs, or moves

pace of

▪ You need to step up the pace of your exercises.

at a slow/leisurely/brisk etc pace

▪ Lucy set off at a leisurely pace back to the hotel.

▪ He quickened his pace , longing to be home.

▪ Traffic slowed to a walking pace .

3.) ¦(STEP)¦

a single step when you are running or walking, or the distance you move in one step

pace backwards/towards/forwards etc

▪ He took a pace towards the door.

▪ Rebecca walked a few paces behind her mum.

4.) keep pace (with sth/sb)

to change or increase as fast as something else, or to move as fast as someone else

▪ Salaries have not always kept pace with inflation.

▪ The supply of materials cannot keep pace with demand.

▪ Slow down! I can't keep pace with you.

5.) go through your paces also show your paces

to show how well you can do something

6.) put sb/sth through their paces

to make a person, vehicle, animal etc show how well they can do something

▪ The test driver puts all the cars through their paces.

7.) set the pace

a) if a company sets the pace, it does something before its competitors or to a better standard

set the pace in

▪ Japanese firms have been setting the pace in electronic engineering.

b) also set a brisk/cracking etc pace BrE

to go faster than the other competitors in a race, who then try to achieve the same speed

▪ The Italians set the pace for the first eight laps.

8.) force the pace

to make something happen or develop more quickly than it would do normally

force the pace on

▪ measures designed to force the pace on alternative energy policies

9.) be able to stand the pace

to be able to deal with situations where you are very busy and have to think and act very quickly

▪ If you can stand the pace, working in advertising pays well.

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COLLOCATES for sense 1

pace of change/reform/growth

pace of life

at your own pace (=at the pace that suits you)

at a rapid/slow/steady etc pace

at breakneck pace (=extremely fast)

gather pace (=happen more quickly)

keep up the pace (=continue to do something or happen as quickly as before)

at a snail's pace (=very slowly)

HINT sense 1

Do not say 'in your own pace' or 'on your own pace'. Say at your own pace.

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pace ²

pace² v

1.) [I always + adverb/preposition, T]

to walk first in one direction and then in another many times, especially because you are nervous

▪ I found Mark at the hospital, pacing restlessly up and down .

pace the floor/room

▪ Sam stood up and paced the floor, deep in thought.

2.) pace yourself

a) to control the speed that you move at in a race, so that you still have energy left near the end

▪ Nicky paced herself and came through the ranks to win.

b) to organize your life and activities so that you do not have too much to do

▪ You need to pace yourself and decide which tasks are the most important.

3.) [T] also pace sth<=>off

pace sth<=>out

to measure a distance by walking across it with steps of equal length

▪ The director paced out the length of the stage.