ace
5 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
aces
plural
aces
Britannica Dictionary definition of ACE
[count]
1
:
a playing card with one large figure in its center that can be the card with either the highest or lowest value
—
see picture at playing card
-
the ace of spades/diamonds/hearts/clubs
2
:
a person who is very skilled at something
— often used before another noun
-
a computer ace
-
the ace of the team's pitching staff [=the best pitcher on the team]
-
an ace mechanic/reporter
3
:
a point scored on a serve that an opponent fails to hit in tennis
-
She won the match by scoring more than 30 aces.
4
an ace in the hole
(US) or chiefly British an ace up your sleeve
◊ If you have an ace in the hole or an ace up your sleeve, you have a powerful and often secret weapon, advantage, etc., that you can use if it is needed.
-
The mayor's popularity among elderly voters gives him an ace in the hole for the coming election.
hold all the aces
:
to have a strong advantage over others in a contest, competition, etc.
-
As the strike continues into its second week, it appears that the company holds all the aces in its negotiations with the strikers.
within an ace of
informal
:
very near to (doing something)
-
They were/came within an ace of winning the championship. [=they almost won the championship]
2
ace
/ˈeɪs/
verb
aces;
aced;
acing
2
ace
/ˈeɪs/
verb
aces;
aced;
acing
Britannica Dictionary definition of ACE
[+ object]
1
US, informal
:
to earn a very high grade on (an examination)
:
to get a grade of A on (an examination)
:
to perform very well on (a test or challenge)
-
He aced the test.
-
She aced her entrance exams.
-
He aced his annual physical.
2
:
to score an ace against (an opponent in tennis)
-
He aced his opponent on the last point of the match.
3
US
:
to score an ace on (a hole in golf)
-
She aced the 14th hole. [=she had a hole in one on the 14th hole]
