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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decorum

the act of or need for making up one's mind.

dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

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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

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

British Dictionary definitions for ace out (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 out (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 out (1 of 2)

ace out

Get the better of, defeat, as in Our team is bound to ace them out, or Those calculus problems aced me out again. [Slang; mid-1900s]

Take advantage of or cheat someone, as in John thought they were trying to ace him out of his promised promotion. [Slang; c. 1920]

Idioms and Phrases with ace out (2 of 2)

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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ace

noun

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

adjective

Verb Phrases

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

Idioms for ace

Origin of ace

Words nearby ace

British Dictionary definitions for ace out (1 of 2)

noun

adjective

verb (tr)

Word Origin for ace

British Dictionary definitions for ace out (2 of 2)

n acronym for

Idioms and Phrases with ace out (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with ace out (2 of 2)