ace

noun

\ ˈās

Definition of ace

(Entry 1 of 6)

1a : a die face marked with one spot

b : a playing card marked in its center with one pip

c : a domino end marked with one spot

2 : a very small amount or degree : particle

3 : a point scored especially on a service (as in tennis or handball) that an opponent fails to touch

4 : a golf score of one stroke on a hole also : a hole made in one stroke

5 : a combat pilot who has brought down at least five enemy airplanes

6a : a person who excels at something a computer ace

b : the best pitcher on a baseball team the ace of the staff

ace in the hole

1 : an ace dealt face down to a player (as in stud poker) and not exposed until the showdown

2 : an effective and decisive argument or resource held in reserve

within an ace of

: on the point of : very near to came within an ace of winning

ace

verb

aced; acing

Definition of ace (Entry 2 of 6)

transitive verb

1 : to score an ace against (an opponent)

2 : to make (a hole in golf) in one stroke

3 : to gain a decisive advantage over : defeat —usually used with out

4a : to earn a high grade on (something, such as an examination) especially : to get an A on

b : to perform extremely well in he aced every subject

ace

adjective (1)

Definition of ace (Entry 3 of 6)

: of first or high rank or quality an ace mechanic

ace

adjective (2)

Definition of ace (Entry 4 of 6)

: asexual But ace individuals often still feel romantic attraction toward others, as well as a drive to cultivate intimate, loving relationships—just without an intrinsic interest in pursuing the sexual aspect.— Taryn Deoilers

Ace

trademark

Definition of Ace (Entry 5 of 6)

—used for a bandage with elastic properties

ACE

abbreviation

Definition of ACE (Entry 6 of 6)

1 American Council on Education

2 \ ˌā-(ˌ)sē-ˈē

, ˈās- \ angiotensin converting enzyme The ACE inhibitors are designer molecules developed specifically to attach to their target enzyme and prevent it from activating angiotensin. Virtually the only thing these drugs do in the body is to interact with ACE. However, ACE is not a very specific enzyme; it acts on hormones besides angiotensin. — Harvard Medical Health Letter

Other Words from ace Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about ace

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Other Words from ace

Adjective (2)

ace noun, plural aces

Like many other aces and aros, I grew up thinking I was broken. I was 19 before I heard the words "asexual" or "aromantic," before I found out that there were other people in the world like me. — Mikayla Micomonaco

Examples of ace in a Sentence

Noun

She won the match by scoring more than 30 aces. took a few lessons with a tennis ace to improve his backhand

Verb

She aced her entrance exams. He aced his annual physical. He aced his opponent on the last point of the match.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Weymouth 3, Wellesley 2 — Lilly McDonald capped off the Wildcats’ comeback with three straight aces. — Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, "Stoughton leaves Framingham in the dust, 35-16, in football season opener," 6 Sep. 2019 Up 5–2 going into the bottom of the eighth, manager Mickey Callaway opted to stick with ace Jacob deGrom instead of turning to his bullpen. — Jon Tayler, SI.com, "Mets' Season All But Over After Gut-Wrenching Collapse Against Nationals," 4 Sep. 2019 Abascal had 14 kills and a block to lead the Seahawks against Marina, while Taylor handed out 15 assists to go with two aces. — Andrew Turner, Daily Pilot, "Marina girls’ volleyball sweeps Ocean View," 3 Sep. 2019 While the rotation is thin, All-Star Jose Berrios is capable of matching up with anyone’s ace. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "MLB playoff rankings: Eight best World Series bets after the trade deadline," 31 July 2019 With Cincinnati’s all-star ace Luis Castillo on the hill, Murphy roped a first-pitch fastball for a three-run ride to the right-field seats following Charlie Blackmon’s leadoff single and Nolan Arenado’s walk. — Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, "Rockies romp Reds to earn first consecutive wins in a month as Daniel Murphy, David Dahl homer," 26 July 2019 Benowitz is an ace on guitar as Perkins, and lends lots of brash attitude (and fine vocals) to the show. — James Hebert, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: Lamb’s Players’ ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ gives real-life rockers a run for their money in Vista," 22 July 2019 Break or set points surfaced in the next five games, with Querrey saving two of three set points at 3-5 with aces. — Ravi Ubha, CNN, "Roger Federer to face Rafael Nadal in Wimbledon semifinal," 10 July 2019 The Brewers had their hands full for the first seven innings with Houston ace Justin Verlander, who at age 36 set a career high with 15 strikeouts. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brewers 6, Astros 3 (14): Brewers claim another marathon despite striking out 24 times," 12 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

SpaceX’s first prototype for its Mars-colonizing Starship vehicle aced its final test flight today (Aug. 27), rising several hundred feet off the ground at the company’s facility in the tiny South Texas town of Boca Chica. — Mike Wall, Scientific American, "SpaceX Starhopper Rocket Prototype Aces Highest (and Final) Test Flight," 28 Aug. 2019 A few minutes later, Jones aced UTSA’s catching gantlet, hauling in seven passes from alternating directions during a sprint across the field. — Greg Luca, ExpressNews.com, "Sheldon ‘Sticks’ Jones brings energy to UTSA wide receivers group," 7 Aug. 2019 If so, the young Chicago artist aced his audition on the big stage. — Greg Kot, chicagotribune.com, "Pitchfork Music Fest 2019: 3 days of heat, rain and music rich in cultural diversity," 22 July 2019 In that respect, the two-way player from last season's roster aced his test, closing with 26 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in the game that ultimately ended the Heat's 6-2 summer run. — Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, "Duncan Robinson now in the bonus round for the Heat," 14 July 2019 Prince George is already acing his tennis skills — with the help of a pro. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, "Kate Middleton Says Prince George Has Played Tennis with His Favorite Player, Roger Federer!," 3 July 2019 The twins aced their classes, and graduated high school sharing the coveted title of valedictorian. — CBS News, "Immigrant twins who picked grapes in California graduate from medical school one day apart," 15 June 2019 Though the new members of the DSO aced their auditions, more tests remain. — Tim Diovanni, Dallas News, "10 musicians earn a new home at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Now, they work to keep it," 14 Aug. 2019 There is some question about how the third-year player, who doesn’t turn 23 until November, will handle being the focus of opposing secondaries, but he’s aced every test so far. 7. — Des Bieler, The Denver Post, "The top fantasy football wide receivers to draft in 2019," 12 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ace.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of ace

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1923, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (1)

1926, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

2009, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for ace

Noun

Middle English as, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin ass-, ās "copper money piece (at first a pound, but progressively reduced to a half-ounce), pound unit of weight, unit," of uncertain origin

Note: The word ās has been compared within Latin to asser "wooden beam, pole, post" (generalized from a plural asserēs, from a singular *assis?) and assis, axis (by hypercorrection?) "plank, board," though any relationship is far from certain. A loanword from Etruscan?

Adjective (1)

derivative of ace entry 1

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More Definitions for ace

ace

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ace

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a playing card with one large figure in its center that can be the card with either the highest or lowest value

: a person who is very skilled at something

: a point scored on a serve that an opponent fails to hit in tennis

ace

verb

English Language Learners Definition of ace (Entry 2 of 2)

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)

: to score an ace against (an opponent in tennis)

US : to score an ace on (a hole in golf)

See the full definition for ace in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ace

noun

\ ˈās