ace

[eys] /eɪs/
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.
  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, acing.
12.
(in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to win a point against (one's opponent) by an ace.
13.
Golf. to make an ace on (a hole).
14.
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.
15.
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
16.
excellent; first-rate; outstanding.
Verb phrases
17.
ace it, Slang. to accomplish something with complete success:
a champion who could ace it every time.
Idioms
18.
ace up one's sleeve, an important, effective, or decisive argument, resource, or advantage kept in reserve until needed.
19.
be aces with, Slang. to be highly regarded by:
The boss says you're aces with him.
20.
easy aces, Auction Bridge. aces equally divided between opponents.
21.
within an ace of, within a narrow margin of; close to:
He came within an ace of winning.
Origin
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

ACE

1.
American Council on Education.
2.
Army Corps of Engineers.
Examples from the web for ace
  • After all, only two cards are face down, and one must be the ace.
  • The book has the excitement that an ace foreign correspondent brings to a strange land.
  • Corliss, however, thinks he has an ace in the hole: a vent's temperature gradient.
  • We science writers do have one ace in the hole, though.
  • My ace in the hole as a human being used to be my capacity for remembering birthdays.
  • She looks as though she'd prefer an ace of diamonds.
  • Even then, ultimately only half of the trainee cabbies ace the exam.
  • But although this line is flopped down as if it were the ace of trumps, it doesn't end the matter.
  • A bored ace realises that she has left her stereo back at the school.
  • An ace, for example, is a first round control the king is a second round control.
British Dictionary definitions for ace

ace

/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, mainly US) 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, 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
11.
(informal) superb; excellent
verb (transitive)
12.
(tennis) to serve an ace against
13.
(golf, mainly US) to play (a hole) in one stroke
14.
(US & Canadian) to perform extremely well or score very highly in (an examination, etc)
Word Origin
C13: via Old French from Latin as a unit, perhaps from a Greek variant of heis one

ACE

/eɪs/
noun acronym
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 Origin and History for ace
n.

c.1300, "one at dice," from Old French as "one at dice," from Latin as "a unit, one, a whole, unity;" also the name of a small Roman coin ("originally one pound of copper; reduced by depreciation to half an ounce" [Lewis]), perhaps originally Etruscan and related to Greek eis "one" (from PIE *sem- "one, as one"), or directly from the Greek word.

In English, it meant the side of the die with only one mark before it meant the playing card with one pip (1530s). Because this was the lowest roll at dice, ace was used metaphorically in Middle English for "bad luck" or "something of no value;" but as the ace is often the highest playing card, the extended senses based on "excellence, good quality" arose 18c. as card-playing became popular. Ace in the hole in the figurative sense of "concealed advantage" is attested from 1904, from crooked stud poker deals.

Meaning "outstanding pilot" dates from 1917 (technically, in World War I aviators' jargon, one who has brought down 10 enemy planes, though originally in reference to 5 shot down), from French l'ace (1915), which, according to Bruce Robertson (ed.) "Air Aces of the 1914-1918 War" was used in prewar French sporting publications for "top of the deck" boxers, cyclists, etc. Sports meaning of "point scored" (1819) led to that of "unreturnable serve" (1889).

v.

"to score" (in sports), 1923, from ace (n.). This led in turn to the extended student slang sense of "get high marks" (1959). Related: Aced; acing.

Slang definitions & phrases for ace

ace

adverb

: He did it ace every time

modifier

: an ace mechanic/ the ace professor

noun
  1. A person of extraordinary skill, usually in a specified activity: poker ace/ the ace of headwaiters
  2. A combat pilot who has shot down five or more enemy aircraft (WWI)
  3. An unusually pleasant, generous, and decent person, esp a male; prince
  4. A very close friend; buddy, pal (Black & street gang)
  5. A man who favors flamboyant, up-tothe-minute dress; dude (Black)
  6. A marijuana cigarette; joint
  7. A dollar bill
  8. A hole scored in one stroke (Golf)
  9. An unreturnable serve that scores a quick point (Racquet games)
  10. A table for one; also, a single customer (Restaurant)
  11. A grilled cheese sandwich (Lunch counter);
verb
  1. To score by an ace: He aced the fifth hole/ She aced him six times in one set (Sports)
  2. (also ace out) To make a perfect or nearly perfect score: My sister aced the chemistry exam/ Ace the test and you go on to the next subject (College students)
Related Terms

come within an ace, cool as a christian with aces wired

[fr the name of the playing card]


ace in Technology


1. Advanced Computing Environment.
2. Adaptive Communication Environment.

Related Abbreviations for ace

ACE

  1. access control entry
  2. American Council on Education
  3. angiotensin-converting enzyme
  4. Army Corps of Engineering
Idioms and Phrases with ace

ace

also see: