ace

  • noun 1 a playing card with a single spot on it, the highest card in its suit in most games. 2 informal a person who is very good at a particular activity. 3 Tennis a service that an opponent is unable to return. 4 Golf a hole in one.

  • adjective informal very good.

  • verb informal (in tennis) serve an ace against.

  — PHRASES ace up one’s sleeve a plan or piece of information kept secret until required. hold all the aces have all the advantages. within an ace of very close to.

  — ORIGIN Latin as ‘unity, a unit’.

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