ace

1 of 7

noun (1)

1
a
: 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
6
a
: a person who excels at something
a computer ace
b
: the best pitcher on a baseball team
the ace of the staff

ace

2 of 7

verb

aced; acing

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
4
a
: 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

3 of 7

adjective (1)

: of first or high rank or quality
an ace mechanic

ace

4 of 7

noun (2)

plural aces
: an asexual person (see asexual sense 3b)
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

ace

5 of 7

adjective (2)

: 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

6 of 7

trademark

used for a bandage with elastic properties

ACE

7 of 7

abbreviation

1
American Council on Education
2
ˌā-(ˌ)sē-ˈē How to pronounce ACE (audio)
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
Phrases
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

Examples of ace in a Sentence

Noun (1) 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. Adjective (1) an ace computer programmer
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Instead, Pivetta could be a decent backup option if the Giants miss out on the ace of free agency. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024 Charlie, 15, delivered the first ace of his young career on the par-3 fourth hole at the Ritz-Carlton Club Orlando during the final round of the tournament, which the father and son duo entered the day leading. Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
Learn how to earn passive income online, master your money, ace your job interview and salary negotiations, and become an effective communicator. Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 2 Dec. 2024 Amazon Basics 3-piece Luggage Set $165 $132 at Amazon This set is a budget-friendly option that aced our tests. Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Joining him were a band of equally ace musicians with Windy City roots, including guitarist Isaiah Sharkey, bassist Junius Paul, keyboardist Andrew Toombs, and drummer Brandon Collins. Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2023 And that number doesn’t include C.J. Goodwin who is a special teams ace, but plays corner in a pinch. David Moore, Dallas News, 5 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for ace 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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?

Verb

derivative of ace entry 1

Adjective (1)

derivative of ace entry 1

Noun (2)

short for asexual, with spelling copying ace entry 1

Adjective (2)

from attributive use of ace entry 4

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

2008, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

2009, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ace was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ace

Cite this Entry

“Ace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ace. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ace

1 of 3 noun
1
: a playing card with one large figure in its center
2
: a very small amount or degree
within an ace of winning
3
: a point scored on a serve (as in tennis) that an opponent fails to touch
4
: a golf hole made in one stroke
5
a
: a combat pilot who has shot down at least five enemy airplanes
b
: a person who is expert at something

ace

2 of 3 verb
aced; acing
1
: to score an ace against
the tennis player aced her opponent
2
: to earn the grade of A on (an examination)

ace

3 of 3 adjective
: of first or high rank or quality

Medical Definition

Ace

1 of 2 trademark
used for a bandage with elastic properties

ACE

2 of 2 abbreviation

More from Merriam-Webster on ace

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