ace
1a 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 serv·ice 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.
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.
(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;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.
Sometimes aces . excellent; first-rate; outstanding.
ace it, Slang. to accomplish something with complete success: a champion who could ace it every time.
Idioms about 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
1Other definitions for ace (2 of 3)
a person who experiences little or no sexual attraction to other people; asexual: She's an ace, but she's had a couple of romantic relationships.
experiencing little or no sexual attraction to other people: As someone who identifies as ace, this article gave me much food for thought.
Origin of ace
2Other definitions for ACE (3 of 3)
American Council on Education.
Army Corps of Engineers.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ace in a sentence
For a franchise still reeling from the death of ace José Fernández, the current Marlins’ promising staff looks like a solid starting point for Ng to build from.
Kim Ng’s Hiring Could Be The Start Of Something Special In Miami | Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com) | November 16, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightHe outpaced Minnesota Twins right-hander Kenta Maeda, Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu and New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, plus seven other pitchers who received a first-, second-, third-, fourth- or fifth-place vote.
Reds’ Trevor Bauer, Indians’ Shane Bieber capture Cy Young awards | Jesse Dougherty | November 12, 2020 | Washington PostIt wasn’t even the first practice-round hole-in-one this week for Rahm, who used a 5-iron at the fourth hole Monday to drain that ace.
Jon Rahm’s pond-skipping hole-in-one at Augusta has been done before but was still incredible | Des Bieler | November 11, 2020 | Washington PostPittsburgh aced its Week 8 test against the Ravens, holding on for a 28-24 win to remain undefeated.
NFL games on TV: Games will look different; Tom Brady vs. Drew Brees, Part 2 | Cindy Boren | November 8, 2020 | Washington PostThis October, their long-time ace Clayton Kershaw ended his personal postseason struggles.
The Dodgers Were The Best Team. And The Best Team Won. | Travis Sawchik | October 28, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
Rowland clearly aced the "Buzzwords and Clichés" lesson in her Reality TV 101 course.
New ‘X Factor’ Judges. Same Horrible, Boring, Ridiculous Reality Show | Kevin Fallon | September 12, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTWiig aced her 2005 SNL tryout for Lorne Michaels by doing impressions of Drew Barrymore, Björk, Jessica Simpson, and Jane Pauley.
Ah stakes yo' to a white coat an' yo' is aced in as mah helpeh.
Lady Luck | Hugh Wiley
British Dictionary definitions for ace (1 of 2)
/ (eɪs) /
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 person: an 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 of: he came within an ace of winning
informal superb; excellent
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)
Origin of ace
1British Dictionary definitions for ACE (2 of 2)
/ (eɪs) /
(in Britain) Advisory Centre for Education; a private organization offering advice on schools to parents
Allied Command Europe
angiotensin-converting enzyme: See 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
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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