pace vs step on

pace

verb
  • To walk back and forth in a small distance. 

  • To set the speed in a race. 

  • To measure by walking. 

adj
  • Describing a bowler who bowls fast balls. 

prep
  • With all due respect to. 

noun
  • Any of various gaits of a horse, specifically a 2-beat, lateral gait. 

  • The distance covered in a step (or sometimes two), either vaguely or according to various specific set measurements. 

  • A group of donkeys. 

  • Easter. 

  • A step taken with the foot. 

  • A manner of walking, running or dancing; the rate or style of how someone moves with their feet. 

  • Speed or velocity in general. 

  • A measure of the hardness of a pitch and of the tendency of a cricket ball to maintain its speed after bouncing. 

step on

verb
  • Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see step, on. 

  • to adulterate a drug for the purpose of increasing its bulk, and therefore its profit; to dilute, cut. 

How often have the words pace and step on occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )