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Definition of pace 1 verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

pace1

verb
 
/peɪs/
 
/peɪs/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they pace
 
/peɪs/
 
/peɪs/
he / she / it paces
 
/ˈpeɪsɪz/
 
/ˈpeɪsɪz/
past simple paced
 
/peɪst/
 
/peɪst/
past participle paced
 
/peɪst/
 
/peɪst/
-ing form pacing
 
/ˈpeɪsɪŋ/
 
/ˈpeɪsɪŋ/
Phrasal Verbs
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  1. [intransitive, transitive] to walk up and down in a small area many times, especially because you are feeling nervous or angry
    • + adv./prep. She paced up and down outside the room.
    • I paced nervously back and forth across the room.
    • pace something Ted paced the floor restlessly.
    Extra Examples
    • He paced slowly back and forth.
    • Ella got up and started pacing around the room.
    • He was pacing the room like a caged animal.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • slowly
    • anxiously
    • nervously
    verb + pace
    • begin to
    preposition
    • about
    • around
    • round
    phrases
    • begin pacing
    See full entry
  2. [transitive] pace something to set the speed at which something happens or develops
    • He paced his game skilfully.
    • One runner was selected to pace the race.
    Topics Sports: other sportsc1
  3. [transitive] pace yourself to find the right speed or rhythm for your work or an activity so that you have enough energy to do what you have to do
    • He'll have to learn to pace himself in this job.
  4. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French pas, from Latin passus ‘stretch (of the leg)’, from pandere ‘to stretch’.
See pace in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
previously
adverb
 
 
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B1
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