ace
noun · verb · adjective
Simple meaning
A playing card showing a single pip, usually the highest or lowest ranking card in a game.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
aysIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈeɪs
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
card games
A playing card showing a single pip, typically the highest or lowest ranking card in a game.
tennisvolleyball
A serve won without the opponent hitting the ball.
us
A perfect score on a school exam.
The ball marked with the number 1 in pool and related games.
A very small quantity or degree; a particle; an atom; a jot.
A common nickname suggesting skill, particularly among airplane pilots.
verb
transitiveusinformal
To pass (a test, interviews etc.) perfectly.
adjective
ukslang
Excellent.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (card games) A playing card showing a single pip, typically the highest or lowest ranking card in a game.
In card games, the 'ace' card is usually the most powerful or lowest, depending on the game. It's a fundamental concept in many card games, especially poker or blackjack.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Poker game
“I got an ace on the river and won!”
Blackjack table
“A natural blackjack needs an ace and a ten.”
Casual card game
“Do you play the ace high or low?”
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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What Does It Mean Here?
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.