pace¹ / pās/ • n. 1. a single step taken when walking or running. ∎  a unit of length representing the distance between two successive steps in walking. ∎  a gait of a horse or other animal, esp. one of the recognized trained gaits of a horse. ∎ poetic/lit. a person's manner of walking or running: I steal with quiet pace. 2. consistent and continuous speed in walking, running, or moving: most traffic moved at the pace of the riverboat | [in sing.] walking at a comfortably fast pace. ∎  the speed or rate at which something happens, changes, or develops: the children work separately in the classroom at their own pace the poor neighborhoods fester at an increasingly rapid pace. ∎  (in sports) the speed or force of a hit or pitched ball.• v. [intr.] walk at a steady and consistent speed, esp. back and forth and as an expression of one's anxiety or annoyance: we paced up and down in exasperation | [tr.] she had been pacing the room. ∎  [tr.] measure (a distance) by walking it and counting the number of steps taken: I paced out the dimensions of my new home. ∎  [tr.] lead (another runner in a race) in order to establish a competitive speed: Morales paced us for four miles. ∎  (pace oneself) do something at a slow and steady rate or speed in order to avoid overexerting oneself: Frank was pacing himself for the long night and day ahead. ∎  [tr.] move or develop (something) at a particular rate or speed: the action is paced to the beat of a perky march | [as adj. in comb.] (-paced) our fast-paced daily lives. ∎  [intr.] (of a horse) move in a distinctive lateral gait in which both legs on the same side are lifted together, seen mostly in specially bred or trained horses.PHRASES: change of pace a change from what one is used to: the magenta is a change of pace from traditional red.keep pace with move, develop, or progress at the same speed as: fees have had to be raised a little to keep pace with inflation.off the pace behind the leader or leading group in a race or contest.put someone (or something) through their (or its) paces make someone (or something) demonstrate their (or its) qualities or abilities: the cars are examined by our safety experts and put through their paces by our drivers.set the pace be the fastest runner in the early part of a race. ∎  lead the way in doing or achieving something: space movies have set the pace for the development of special effects.pace² / ˈpāˌsē; ˈpäˌchā/ • prep. with due respect to (someone or their opinion), used to express polite disagreement or contradiction: narrative history, pace some theorists, is by no means dead.