Forms: 3–6 as, 4–6 aas, ais, ase, 6– ace, Pl. aces; in 4–5 aas. [a. Fr. as:—L. as unity, a unit, (said to be a. Tarentine ἄς, for Gr. εἷς one). In OFr. popularly restricted to the side of the dice marked with one pip.]
1. One at dice, or the side of the die marked with one pip or point, and counting as one; afterwards extended to cards, dominos, etc., and meaning the throw of one, or the card, etc., so reckoned. Ambs ace, the first connection in which the word occurs in Eng. (OFr. 12th c. ambes as), both aces; deuce ace (OFr.) two aces, at one throw (now taken as deux + ace = 2 and 1; so trey ace, syce ace, etc.)
c. 1300. [See under 2.]
1566. Udall, Royster Doyster, III. iii. (1847), 45. I wyll he here with them, ere ye can say trey ace.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., II. iii. 3. Your Lordship is the most patient man in losse, the most coldest that euer turn’d vp Ace.
1650. Sherwood, To cast ambes-ace, Faire ambezatz.
1656. Hobbes, Lib. Necess. & Chance (1841), 41. This will be yet clearer by considering his own instance of casting ambs-ace, though it partake more of contingency than of freedom.
1680. Cotton, Compl. Gamester, in Singer, Hist. Play. Cards, 336. If you put in your dice so that two fives or two fours lie a-top, you have in the bottom turned up two two’s, or two treys; so if six and an ace a-top, a six and an ace at bottom.
1880. Boy’s Own Bk., 619. The dice are perfect cubes, marked with dots from one to six … one is called ace, two deuce, three tré (or trois), four quatre, five cinque, and six size.
b. At cards.
1533. More, Debell. Salem & Byzance, Wks. 1557, 955/2. I am as sure of this game … as he that hath iii. aces in his hande.
c. 1590. Harrington, Marcus at Primero, in Singer, Hist. Play. Cards, 253. For either Faustus prime is with three knaves, Or Marcus never can encounter right, Yet drew two aces.
1594. Plat, Jewell-house, III. 42. Carefull schollers will find some of these helpes, as good as the Ace of heartes in their wrighting; heedelesse Drones will scarce make the Ace of Diamondes of the best meanes.
1676. Etheredge, Man of Mode, II. i. (1684), 18. She loves nothing So well as a black Ace.
1741. Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. 187. By the ace [in whist] I have always thought the laws of the land denoted; and as the ace is above the king or queen, and wins them, I think the law should be thought so too.
1853. Lytton, My Novel, I. xii. 47. The unfortunate adversary has led up to ace king knave—with two other trumps. Squire takes the Parson’s ten with his knave, and plays out ace king.
c. A point at racquets, lawn-tennis, etc.
2. fig. a. As the ace at dice was the lowest or worst number, ace was frequently used for bad luck, misfortune, loss. Esp. in ambs ace and deuce ace the lowest possible throw, and hence, naught, worthlessness, nothing. b. But in some games at cards, the ace is the most valuable, and hence the ‘ace of men’ the perfection or highest. See also AMBS-ACE.
c. 1300. Harrowing of Hell, 21. Stille be thou, Sathanas! The ys fallen ambes aas.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Monkes T., 583 (Six-t. 670). Empoysoned of thin oughne folk thou were; Thyn sis fortune is torned into an aas. [Lansd. as.] Ibid. (c. 1386), Man of Lawes T., 26. Youre bagges beth nat fuld with ambes aas, But with sys synk, that renneth on your chaunce. [v.r. as, ais.]
1481. Caxton, Reynard the Foxe, 62. A pylgrym of deux aas.
1787. Burns (Chamb.), 74.
| My heart-warm love to guid auld Glen, | |
| The ace and wale o’ honest men. |
3. fig. A single point, a minute portion, a jot, particle, or atom.
1528. More, Heresyes, I. Wks. 1557, 170/2. I will not muche sticke with you for one ace better.
1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. on Tim., 13/2. Such as did their best to be an ace above Timothie.
1586. J. Hooker, Giraldus’s Hist. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 95/1. [He] determined to go an ase beyond his fellows, in betraieng the castell to the gouernor.
1587. Gascoigne, Steele Glass, Epil. 42. Better looke off than looke an ace too farre.
1598. trans. Terence, Eun. III. i. Did I tell thee how I tooke a young man down an ace lower at Rhodes?
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., Democr. (1651), 9. I may peradventure be an ace before thee.
1652. Culpepper, Engl. Phys. Enl. (1809), 165. The root spreadeth like the other, neither will it yield to its fellow one ace of bitterness.
1737. Dragon of Wantley, in Aquar. Naturalist (1858), 355. The Corporation worshipful He valued not an ace.
To bate an ace: To abate a jot or tittle, to make the slightest abatement.
a. 1603. Proverb, in Camden, Rem. (1623), 293. Bate me an ace, quoth Bolton.
1616. Englishmen for my Money, II. ii., in Hazl., Dodsl., X. 504. Yet a man may want of his will, and bate an ace of his wish.
a. 1638. Mede, Paraphr. on 2 Peter iii. 9. God would not bate them an ace of the judgment they had merited.
1676. Marvell, Mr. Smirke, Wks. 1875, IV. 60. The exposer has not bated him an ace.
a. 1733. North, Lives of Norths (1826), III. 323. Bating him that ace, he was truly a great man.
Within an ace of: On the very point of, within a hair’s breadth of.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Lett., Wks. 1730, I. 184. I was within an ace of being talked to death.
1711. Pope, Lett. (1736), V. 112. I was within an ace of meeting you.
1824. W. Irving, Tales of Trav., II. 43. I came within an ace of making my fortune.
1880. Manch. Guard., Oct. 30. A conspiracy to restore the Throne, was within an ace of being carried into execution.
4. Attrib. ace-point: the first of the points or divisions of the tables in backgammon.
1880. Boy’s Own Bk., Backg., 619. The men move towards their ace-points … white counts round from the ace-point of black, and black counts round from the ace-point of white.
¶ Ace is in many dialects pronounced yace, yas, yess, whence in the following: O ace, a curious spelling of OYEZ! or O yes! with plural O’s ace for Oyezes.
1635. Brathwait, Arcadian Princesse, ii. 196. Having first commanded Cletor, the Pretorian Cryer, with three O’s ace to command silence.
