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pace lap

American  
[peys] / peɪs /

noun

  1. a lap before the beginning of an auto race for warming up the engines and giving the field a moving start.

Etymology

Origin of pace lap

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Monster Among Men had his scheduled pace lap at the Monster Mile rained out.

From Washington Times • Apr. 30, 2023

Ty Gibbs and Justin Allgaier bumped each other on a pace lap while heating up their tires for the start.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 3, 2022

His crew chief, car chief and engineer earned automatic four-race suspensions when a piece of tungsten fell off Hamlin's car on a pace lap.

From Fox News • May 29, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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