ace

The word “ace” means a playing card marked with a single symbol, usually ranked highest or lowest in a game. In plain terms, a top card, an expert at something, or (in tennis) an unreturned serve; also used as an informal word for "excellent.".

“Ace” is pronounced AYS (/ˈeɪ̯s/ in IPA).

Here is “ace” used in a sentence: “She drew the ace of spades and won the hand.”

Depending on how it is used, “ace” can be a noun, a verb and an adjective.

The word “ace” comes from Latin. From Old French as, from Latin as, assis, meaning "a unit" or "a small copper coin" — the idea of being the "one" or top unit carried over into cards and skill.

“Ace” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Ace” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a playing card marked with a single symbol, usually ranked highest or lowest in a game.

An ace is a playing card marked with a single symbol, and depending on the game it can rank either highest or lowest. In many games it is the top card above the king, but in others it counts as one, the lowest value. The rules of each game decide which applies.

An 'ace' is an informal, punchy word for a person who is extremely skilled at something, as in 'a computer ace.' 'Expert' is a more neutral, formal term for someone with deep knowledge or skill. 'Ace' adds admiration and a casual tone that 'expert' does not.

Common phrases include 'ace up your sleeve,' 'ace it,' and 'a flying ace.' 'An ace up your sleeve' means a hidden advantage, while 'ace it' means to do something extremely well. 'Flying ace' describes a highly skilled fighter pilot.