ace
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(ās) 
n.
Top-notch; first-rate.
tr.v., aced, ac·ing, ac·es.
n.
- A single spot or pip on a playing card, die, or domino.
- A playing card, die, or domino having one spot or pip.
- In racket games:
- A serve that one's opponent fails to hit.
- A point scored by such a serve.
- The act of hitting a golf ball in the hole with one's first shot.
- A military aircraft pilot who has destroyed five or more enemy aircraft.
- An expert in a given field.
Top-notch; first-rate.
tr.v., aced, ac·ing, ac·es.
- To serve an ace against in racket games.
- To hit an ace on (a hole) in golf.
- Slang. To get the better of (someone): a candidate who aced his opponents in the primaries.
- Slang.
- To receive a grade of A on: She aced the exam.
- To perform with distinction on: aced the interview.
ace in the hole (or up one's sleeve)
- A hidden advantage or resource kept in reserve until needed.
- On the verge of; very near to: came within an ace of losing the election.
[Middle English as, from Old French, from Latin, unit.]
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(Advanced Computing Environment) An open standard based on Unix and Windows NT introduced in 1991 by MIPS Computer Systems and others. Although later disbanded, its purpose was to provide users a migration path from x86 PCs to MIPS RISC machines.
Download Computer Desktop Encyclopedia to your PC, iPhone or Android.
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noun
- A person with a high degree of knowledge or skill in a particular field: adept, authority, dab hand, expert, master, past master, professional, proficient, wizard. Informal whiz. Slang crackerjack. Chiefly British dab. See ability/inability.
adjective
- Exceptionally good of its kind: banner, blue-ribbon, brag, capital, champion, excellent, fine, first-class, first-rate, prime, quality, splendid, superb, superior, terrific, tiptop, top. Informal A-one, bully, dandy, great, swell, topflight, topnotch. Slang boss. Chiefly British tophole. See good/bad.
verb
- To win a victory over, as in battle or a competition: beat, best, conquer, defeat, master, overcome, prevail against (or over), rout, subdue, subjugate, surmount, triumph over, vanquish, worst. Informal trim, whip. Slang lick. Idioms: carrywinthe day, gethavethe best of, gethavethe better of, go someone one better. See win/lose/recovery.
Idioms beginning with ace:
ace in the hole
ace it
See also hold all the aces; within an ace of.
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adj
Definition: being expert in some activity
Antonyms: inept, unskilled
n
Definition: expert in some activity
Antonyms: clod, ignoramus
n.a military aviator who has shot down more than five enemy aircraft.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.
Word Tutor:
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ace
IN BRIEF: A playing card, often valued the highest. An expert.
It takes study to become an ace speller.
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
Generally, a pilot with confirmed kills of five or more aircraft.
noun
noun, US
1: A dollar, or a one-dollar bill. (1925 —) .
2: acesUS Someone or something outstandingly good. (1931 —) .
American Speech That broad (female) is aces with me (1943).
3: ace in the holemainly N Amer
a: A high-value card or trump card concealed up one's sleeve. (1915 —) .
b: An advantage so far concealed. (1933 —) .
New York Times AM's ace in the hole may be the $213 million net operating loss carryforward it still has left (1984).adjective
4:orig US Outstandingly good. (1936 —) .
Guardian The ace byliners found their stories on the back page (1961).verb trans. , US
5:
a: : to ace it to achieve high marks in an examination, etc.; hence generally, to achieve complete success. (1959 —) .
New Yorker Our tradition is 'Give us a few seconds and we'll ace it' (1986).
b: To achieve high marks in (an examination, etc.). (1962 —) .
noun, US
1: A dollar, or a one-dollar bill. (1925 —) .
2: aces
American Speech That broad (female) is aces with me (1943).
3: ace in the hole
a: A high-value card or trump card concealed up one's sleeve. (1915 —) .
b: An advantage so far concealed. (1933 —) .
New York Times AM's ace in the hole may be the $213 million net operating loss carryforward it still has left (1984).
4:
Guardian The ace byliners found their stories on the back page (1961).
5:
a: : to ace it to achieve high marks in an examination, etc.; hence generally, to achieve complete success. (1959 —) .
New Yorker Our tradition is 'Give us a few seconds and we'll ace it' (1986).
b: To achieve high marks in (an examination, etc.). (1962 —) .
| account, according, accident | |
| ace boon coon, ace-face, acher |
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Angiotensin-converting enzyme.
- ACE inhibitors — a group of drugs used as vasodilators in the management of heart failure. They act to decrease circulating levels of angiotensin II and aldosterone. See captopril, enalapril, lisinopril.
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'ace'
- Baseball - ace: the best starting pitcher among a team’s pitching staff
- Tennis
- Card Terms
- Friendly or Familiar Address
- Respectful or Admiring Reference
- Drug Names and Forms - ace: Slang. barbiturate or amphetamine capsule or pill
See crossword solutions for the clue
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This article is about the playing card. For other uses, see Ace (disambiguation).
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007) |
An ace is a playing card. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the case of the Ace of Spades. This embellishment on the Ace of Spades started when King James VI of Scotland and I of England required an insignia of the printing house to be printed on the Ace of Spades. This insignia was necessary for identifying the printing house and stamping it as having paid the new tax. Although this requirement was abolished in 1960, the tradition has been kept by many card makers.[1]
The word "ace" comes from the Old French word 'as' (from Latin 'as') meaning 'a unit', from the name of a small Roman coin. It originally meant the side of dice with only one mark, before it was a term for a playing card. Since this was the lowest roll of the die, it traditionally meant 'bad luck' in Middle English, but as the ace is often the highest playing card, its meaning has since changed to mean 'high-quality, excellence'. This connotation has seen the word applied to an unreachable tennis serve, a successful fighter pilot and more generally as a person proficient in their field, especially a sporting field.
Historically, the ace had the lowest value and this still holds in many popular European games (in fact most European decks, including the French Tarot Nouveau, do not use the "A" index, instead keeping the numeral "1"). However, in most games popular in the English-speaking world, aces have the highest value of all cards in a suit. Many games, such as poker and blackjack, allow the player to choose whether the ace is used as a high or low card. This duality allows players in some other games to use it as both at once; some variants of Rummy allow players to form groups, or "melds", of rank K-A-2 or similar. This is known colloquially as "going around the corner".
Ace-high origin
The folk tradition of "ace high" existed in some games as of the late 15th century, for example Three-card brag, a precursor to modern forms of Poker. It was not only the French deck which experienced this promotion, but some games involving the German deck also evolved into using the Daus (two) as the highest card.[2] The use of the ace as the highest card in the French deck gained more widespread acceptance as a result of the French Revolution. Examples of the ace being a high card include the game Hearts.
The promotion of the ace symbolised the removal of the nobility (especially King Louis XVI) and the promotion of the common man. In addition to this move, the traditional court card imagery of the nobility had the crowns removed so as to give human personifications to chosen democratic ideals (Liberté, Egalité and Fraternité). Upon the rise of Napoleon to Emperor, royalty became more popular once more and the royal court was re-established on the imagery of the cards. Napoleon commissioned an artist to depict a more historically-correct court, but the move proved unpopular and the medieval court figures were quickly reinstated.[3]
References
- ^ Knuckle, White, A Brief History of Playing Cards, http://www.whiteknucklecards.com/history/briefhistory.html
- ^ John McLeod. "Games played with German suited cards". pagat.com/. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. http://www.pagat.com/class/german.html. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
- ^ International Playing-Card Society. "Playing-card History: French revolutionary cards". http://i-p-c-s.org/faq/history_7.php. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
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Translations:
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Ace
Dansk (Danish)
n. - es, stjerne
adj. - mester-, stjerne-, fremragende
v. tr. - score points, tage stik hjem
idioms:
- ace in the hole trumf i baghånden, i beredskab
- aces high esset er højest
- have an ace in the hole have noget i baghånden
- have an ace up one's sleeve have noget i ærmet, have noget i baghånden
- have the ace in one's hand have et es på hånden
- within an ace of lige på nippet til at, være ved at, være tæt på at
Nederlands (Dutch)
aas (kaartspel), ace (tennis), uitblinker, hole in één slag (golf), heel klein deeltje, piloot die veel vijandelijke vliegtuigen heeft geraakt, Te gek!, ace slaan, hoog(ste) cijfer krijgen, hole in één slag slaan,
Français (French)
n. - as (aux cartes), ace (au tennis), (fig) atout, (fig) meilleure carte, (fig) atouts en main, (fig) à deux doigts de, (US) bande Velpeau, as (de l'aviation), (US, fig) super (npl)
adj. - (US, fig) super (npl)
v. tr. - faire un ace
idioms:
- ace in the hole (US) avoir une carte maîtresse, (US) avoir un atout en réserve
- aces high (avoir) une carte maîtresse (l'as)
- an ace up one's sleeve (avoir) une carte maîtresse, (avoir) un atout en réserve
- have the ace in one's hand avoir l'as en main
- within an ace of à deux doigts de qch
Deutsch (German)
n. - As, Trumpf, Crack, Kanone, Könner
adj. - sehr gut
v. - eine gute Note erlangen, ein As setzen, einen Vorteil gewinnen, (Golf) mit einem Schlag einlochen
idioms:
- ace in the hole ein As in petto haben
- aces high gut angeschrieben
- an ace up one's sleeve ein As in petto
- have the ace in one's hand noch einen Trumpf in der Hand haben
- within an ace of kurz vor
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - άσος, (στο τένις) άσος, καρφί, δεξιοτέχνης, μοναδικός
adj. - δεξιοτέχνης, μοναδικός
v. - (τένις) καρφώνω, (καθομ.) ξεγελώ, ρίχνω, (καθομ.) αριστεύω σε εξετάσεις
idioms:
- ace in the hole κρυφό ατού
- aces high (στα χαρτιά) με τον άσο μεγαλύτερο από το ρήγα
- have an ace in the hole έχω κρυφό ατού
- have an ace up one's sleeve έχω κρυφό ατού
- have the ace in one's hand κρατώ τους άσους
- hold all the aces έχω όλα τα ατού
- play one's ace παίζω το ατού μου
- within an ace of παρ' ολίγον, παρά τρίχα
Italiano (Italian)
asso, re, fuoriclasse, campione, ace, buca in uno (golf), servizio vincente (tennis/pallavolo)
idioms:
- ace in the hole carta vincente segreta
- ace up one's sleeve asso nella manica
- aces high stimatissimo
- be within an ace of death essere a un passo dalla morte, essere in fine di vita, essere in punto di morte
- hold all the aces essere padrone della situazione
- play your ace gioca la tua carta migliore
Português (Portuguese)
n. - ás (m) (carta do baralho, peça de dominó, dado), fio (m) (de barba ou de cabelo), ponto (m) ganho com um único saque no tênis e em outros esportes (Esp.), perito (m), ninharia
adj. - de primeira (qualidade), partícula (f)
v. - acertar um buraco em uma tacada (Esp.), obter vantagem decisiva sobre, derrotar, obter uma nota elevada
idioms:
- ace in the hole ter um trunfo escondido
- ace up one's sleeve ter um trunfo escondido
- aces high muito elevado (coloq.)
- hold all the aces ter todos os ases (coloq.), ter grande vantagem
- play your ace dar uma cartada (coloq.)
- within an ace of muito próximo de, por um triz
Русский (Russian)
туз, очко, карточный туз, эксперт, специалист, в теннисе: неотразимый удар
idioms:
- ace in the hole скрытое преимущество
- ace up one's sleeve иметь козырь в запасе
- aces high высоко ценимый, имеющий туза
- hold all the aces быть в выгодном положении
- play your ace выкладывай козыри
- within an ace of быть на волосок от смерти
Español (Spanish)
n. - as, gallo, hacha, ace (golf, tenis)
adj. - as, gallo, hacha, ace (golf, tenis)
v. tr. - marcar un tanto de un golpe
idioms:
- ace in the hole as de reserva
- aces high ases juegan, el as es la carta más alta
- an ace up one's sleeve guardar un as en la manga
- have the ace in one's hand tener el as en la mano
- within an ace of estar a punto de, estar próximo a
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - ess, äss, stjärna
adj. - stjärn-
v. - göra hole in one
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
发球得分, 么点, 么点牌, 能手, 佼佼者, 名手, 一流的, 卓越的, 打败, 胜过, 对...取得绝对优势, 以发球赢...一分
idioms:
- ace in the hole 秘藏的王牌, 最后王牌, 秘诀, 最后手段
- aces high 受崇敬的, 被喜爱的
- have an ace in the hole 秘藏的王牌, 最后王牌, 秘诀, 最后手段
- have an ace up one's sleeve 握着王牌, 有应急的妙计
- have the ace in one's hand 秘藏的王牌, 最后王牌, 秘诀, 最后手段
- within an ace of 只差一点, 几乎
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 發球得分, 么點, 么點牌, 能手, 佼佼者, 名手
adj. - 一流的, 卓越的
v. tr. - 打敗, 勝過, 對...取得絕對優勢, 以發球贏...一分
idioms:
- ace in the hole 秘藏的王牌, 最後王牌, 秘訣, 最後手段
- aces high 受崇敬的, 被喜愛的
- have an ace in the hole 秘藏的王牌, 最後王牌, 秘訣, 最後手段
- have an ace up one's sleeve 握著王牌, 有應急的妙計
- have the ace in one's hand 秘藏的王牌, 最後王牌, 秘訣, 最後手段
- within an ace of 只差一點, 幾乎
한국어 (Korean)
n. - (카드,주사위의)1, 서어브로 얻은 1점, 최고, 우수 선수, 하늘의 용사
adj. - 우수한, 숙달한
v. tr. - 서비스 에이스로 득점하다, 홀인원을 치다
idioms:
- have an ace in the hole 홀인원을 치다
- have an ace up one's sleeve 깜짝 놀라게 하다
- have the ace in one's hand 승리를 얻다
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 1の札, サービスエース, 上手な人, 名手, エースの, ホールインワン
idioms:
- ace in the hole とっておきの切り札, いざというときに役立つもの
- ace up one's sleeve 最重要の情報, とっておきの策
- within an ace of もう少しのところで
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) أص ألشده " واحد ", ذره, كميه قليله, طيار يسقط خمس طائرات عدوه على الآقل, ألمتفوق (صفه) ممتاز, من الطراز الأول (فعل) متميز, على قيد شعره
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - אס (הקלף החזק ביותר), נקודה על קלף, אלוף, השגת נקודה (בטניס), מומחה
adj. - מצוין (עגה)
v. tr. - השיג נקודה (בטניס), רימה, ניצל, קיבל ציון מירבי
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