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.

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

British Dictionary definitions for within an ace of (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 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 (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 within an ace of (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 enzyme See ACE inhibitor

Idioms and Phrases with within an ace of (1 of 2)

within an ace of

Also, within an inch of. Very close to, within a narrow margin of, as in We were within an ace of calling you, but we'd lost your phone number, or We were within an inch of buying tickets for that concert. The first term refers to the ace of dice, that is, the one pip on a die. The lowest number one can throw with a pair of dice is two (two aces), a throw that is within an ace of one. The term began to be used for other kinds of near miss by about 1700.

Idioms and Phrases with within an ace of (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

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

ace

noun

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

adjective

Verb Phrases

Idioms for ace

Origin of ace

Words nearby ace

British Dictionary definitions for within an ace of (1 of 2)

noun

adjective

verb (tr)

Word Origin for ace

British Dictionary definitions for within an ace of (2 of 2)

n acronym for

Idioms and Phrases with within an ace of (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with within an ace of (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

ace

noun

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

adjective

Verb Phrases

Idioms for ace

Origin of ace

Words nearby ace

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noun

adjective

verb (tr)

Word Origin for ace

British Dictionary definitions for within an ace of (2 of 2)

n acronym for

Idioms and Phrases with within an ace of (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with within an ace of (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for within an ace of (1 of 2)