ace

¹

[ eys ]

noun

1. 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.

2. a single spot or mark on a playing card or die.
3. (in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.)
   1. Also called service ace. a placement made on a service.
   2. any placement.
   3. a serve that the opponent fails to touch.
   4. the point thus scored.
4. a fighter pilot credited with destroying a prescribed number or more of enemy aircraft, usually five, in combat.
5. a very skilled person; expert; adept:

   an ace at tap dancing.

6. Slang. a one-dollar bill.
7. Slang. a close friend.
8. Golf.
   1. 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.

   2. a score of one stroke made on such a shot:

      to card an ace.

9. Slang. a barbiturate or amphetamine capsule or pill.
10. a very small quantity, amount, or degree; a particle:

    not worth an ace.

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

verb (used with object)

, aced, ac·ing.

1. (in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to win a point against (one's opponent) by an ace.
2. Golf. to make an ace on (a hole).
3. 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.

4. Slang.
   1. to receive a grade of A, as on a test or in a course (sometimes followed by out ).
   2. to complete easily and successfully:

      He aced every physical fitness test they gave him.

adjective

1. Sometimes aces. excellent; first-rate; outstanding.

verb phrase

1. Slang. to accomplish something with complete success:

   a champion who could ace it every time.

ace

²

[ eys ]

noun

1. 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.

adjective

1. experiencing little or no sexual attraction to other people:

   As someone who identifies as ace, this article gave me much food for thought.

ACE

³

abbreviation for

1. American Council on Education.
2. Army Corps of Engineers.

ace

¹

/ eɪs /

noun

1. any die, domino, or any of four playing cards with one spot
2. a single spot or pip on a playing card, die, etc
3. tennis a winning serve that the opponent fails to reach
4. golf a hole in one
5. a fighter pilot accredited with destroying several enemy aircraft
6. informal.
   an expert or highly skilled person

   an ace at driving

7. an ace up one's sleeve or an ace in the hole
   a hidden and powerful advantage
8. hold all the aces
   to have all the advantages or power
9. play one's ace
   to use one's best weapon or resource
10. within an ace of
    almost to the point of

    he came within an ace of winning

adjective

1. informal.
   superb; excellent

verb

1. tennis to serve an ace against
2. golf to play (a hole) in one stroke
3. to perform extremely well or score very highly in (an examination, etc)

ACE

²

/ eɪs /

acronym for

1. (in Britain) Advisory Centre for Education; a private organization offering advice on schools to parents
2. Allied Command Europe
3. angiotensin-converting enzyme See ACE inhibitor

Word History and Origins

Origin of ace¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, in 1795–1800 ace ¹fordef 5; from Middle English as, aas, ais, from Old French as, from Latin ass- (stem of as ) “a copper coin (originally weighing one pound), unit (of money, weight)”; sense 4 was taken directly from French as in World War I, and sense 5 developed from sense 4; as ²

Origin of ace²

First recorded in 2005–10; shortening of asexual ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of ace¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. ace up one's sleeve, an important, effective, or decisive argument, resource, or advantage kept in reserve until needed.
2. be aces with, Slang. to be highly regarded by:

   The boss says you're aces with him.

3. easy aces, Auction Bridge. aces equally divided between opponents.
4. within an ace of, within a narrow margin of; close to:

   He came within an ace of winning.

More idioms and phrases containing ace

• hold all the aces
• within an ace of

Example Sentences

Serving out for the title at 5-4, the Frenchman showed no sign of tension as he hit an ace out wide to set up championship point before sealing victory.

From BBC

The setting wasn’t a restaurant or a neighborhood street: It was the VIP section of a dedication ceremony in Boyle Heights for a towering set of murals featuring the late Dodgers ace Fernando Valenzuela.

From Los Angeles Times

In a performance devoid of any positive energy, Pegula struggled to cope with the Czech's huge serves, including 11 aces, and hit just four winners in a match lasting little more than an hour.

From BBC

Boulter then showed real grit to fend off Yuan in a marathon fourth game before closing out the set against the world number 45 with her sixth ace of the match.

From BBC

After four innings against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, they were not only trailing 5-0, but still looking for their first hit.

From Los Angeles Times