ace

[ eys ]

/ eɪs /

noun

a playing card or die marked with or having the value indicated by a single spot: He dealt me four aces in the first hand.

a single spot or mark on a playing card or die.

(in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.)

Also called service ace. a placement made on a service.
any placement.
a serve that the opponent fails to touch.
the point thus scored.

a fighter pilot credited with destroying a prescribed number or more of enemy aircraft, usually five, in combat.

a very skilled person; expert; adept: an ace at tap dancing.

Slang. a one-dollar bill.

Slang. a close friend.

Golf.

Also called hole in one. a shot in which the ball is driven from the tee into the hole in one stroke: He hit a 225-yard ace on the first hole.
a score of one stroke made on such a shot: to card an ace.

Slang. a barbiturate or amphetamine capsule or pill.

a very small quantity, amount, or degree; a particle: not worth an ace.

Slang. a grade of A; the highest grade or score.

verb (used with object), aced, ac·ing.

(in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to win a point against (one's opponent) by an ace.

Golf. to make an ace on (a hole).

Slang. to cheat, defraud, or take advantage of (often followed by out): to be aced out of one's inheritance; a friend who aced me out of a good job.

Slang.

to receive a grade of A, as on a test or in a course (sometimes followed by out).
to complete easily and successfully: He aced every physical fitness test they gave him.

adjective

excellent; first-rate; outstanding.

Verb Phrases

ace it, Slang. to accomplish something with complete success: a champion who could ace it every time.

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salute

to call out to in order to stop, attract attention, ask aid, etc.

to wield power; exercise rule.

to express respect or praise for; honor; commend.

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Idioms for ace

ace up one's sleeve, an important, effective, or decisive argument, resource, or advantage kept in reserve until needed.

be aces with, Slang. to be highly regarded by: The boss says you're aces with him.

easy aces, Auction Bridge. aces equally divided between opponents.

within an ace of, within a narrow margin of; close to: He came within an ace of winning.

Origin of ace

1250–1300; 1915 for def 4; Middle English as, aas < Old French as < Latin: a unit; cf. as²; sense 4 after French as in World War I; sense 5 < 4

Words nearby ace

accustomed, accustomed to, accutane, accutron, acda, ace, ace bandage, ace in the hole, ace inhibitor, ace it, ace out

Definition for ace (2 of 2)

ACE

American Council on Education.

Army Corps of Engineers.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for ace

An ace comedic turn that, in lesser hands, would come off as one-note.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
My grandfather lived fast and large—he liked his liquor and his tobacco, and he was also an ace gambler.
Those Kansas City Blues: A Family History|Katie Baker|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Time and time again, we see women being asked to ace some arbitrary test in order to be deemed model victims.
Why We're So Hard on Janay Rice and Celebrity Survivors of Abuse|Amy Zimmerman|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He is getting ready to watch Jack Morris, the Tigers ace, go for win number nineteen against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Elmore Leonard’s Rocky Road to Fame and Fortune|Mike Lupica|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

She had been seeking not only access to the presentation materials, but also a list of ACE members who attended the webinar.
Colleges Lawyer Up Before Claire McCaskill Rape Inquiry|Emily Shire|June 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She had been within an ace of saying she had explained matters to Mr. Danver.
Antony Gray,--Gardener|Leslie Moore
The same hand, except that the Clubs are Ace, King, and two small.
Auction of To-day|Milton C. Work
The thought of Ace's bandages, and the vision of wounds under them filled me with remorse--but I was boss!
Vandemark's Folly|Herbert Quick
Your opponent is kept in the dark until the last moment, when the ace has probably been won.
Lawn Tennis for Ladies|Mrs. Lambert Chambers
We've trumped your ace, as you say, and we mean to take advantage of it.
The Strand Magazine, Volume XVII, February 1899, No. 98.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ace (1 of 2)

ace

/ (eɪs) /

noun

any die, domino, or any of four playing cards with one spot

a single spot or pip on a playing card, die, etc

tennis a winning serve that the opponent fails to reach

golf, mainly US a hole in one

a fighter pilot accredited with destroying several enemy aircraft

informal an expert or highly skilled personan ace at driving

an ace up one's sleeve or an ace in the hole a hidden and powerful advantage

hold all the aces to have all the advantages or power

play one's ace to use one's best weapon or resource

within an ace of almost to the point ofhe came within an ace of winning

adjective

informal superb; excellent

verb (tr)

tennis to serve an ace against

golf, mainly US to play (a hole) in one stroke

US and Canadian to perform extremely well or score very highly in (an examination, etc)

Word Origin for ace

C13: via Old French from Latin as a unit, perhaps from a Greek variant of heis one

British Dictionary definitions for ace (2 of 2)

ACE

/ (eɪs) /

n acronym for

(in Britain) Advisory Centre for Education; a private organization offering advice on schools to parents

Allied Command Europe

angiotensin-converting enzymeSee ACE inhibitor

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with ace

ace

In addition to the idioms beginning with ace

ace in the hole
ace it
ace out

also see:

hold all the aces
within an ace of

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