ACE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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ace

[ eys ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

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.)
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.
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.
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.
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, acing.

(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.
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

Sometimes aces. excellent; first-rate; outstanding.

verb phrase

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

ace

[ eys ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

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

experiencing little or no sexual attraction to other people:
As someone who identifies as ace, this article gave me much food for thought.

ACE

abbreviation for

American Council on Education.
Army Corps of Engineers.

ace

/ ��ɪ�� /

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 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

adjective

informal.
superb; excellent

verb

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

ACE

/ ��ɪ�� /

acronym for

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

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�y��vlog 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 )

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of ace¹

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

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Idioms and Phrases

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.

More idioms and phrases containing ace

hold all the aces
within an ace of

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He still needs more appearances to improve his control, but the potential to become an ace is there.

From

Presumptive ace Blake Snell is shaky for a second consecutive start, allowing five unearned runs fueled by four walks, and what happens?

From

Serves are underhanded and aces are slow, intricately placed shots that bounce at an angle off the side glass.

From

The day he went missing, Saira had aced a school exam and was excited to tell her brother, her "biggest supporter".

From

A smash at the net allowed Draper to break and serve for the first set, which he wrapped up with an ace.

From

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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