Dear Patient Reader,

Today's entry is longer than usual, but I trust that you'll find a few extra minutes worth your while. The innocent 3-letter word ACE has some surprising meanings:

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ORIGIN

c. 1300, "one at dice," from Old French as "one at dice" (12c.), from Latin as "a unit, one, a whole, unity;" also the name of a small Roman coin (originally a rectangular bronze plaque weighing one pound, it eventually was reduced by depreciation to half an ounce; in imperial times it became a round coin).

The Latin word also is the source of Spanish as, Italian asso, German ass, Dutch aas, Danish es. It is perhaps originally Etruscan and related to Greek heis "one" (from PIE root *sem- (1) "one, as one"), or it might be taken directly into Latin from the Greek word.

In English, it meant the side of the die with only one mark before it meant the playing card with one pip (1530s). Because this was the lowest roll at dice, ace was used metaphorically in Middle English for "bad luck" or "something of no value;" but as the ace often is the highest playing card, the extended senses based on "excellence, good quality" arose 18c. as card-playing became popular.

Ace in the hole in the figurative sense of "concealed advantage" is attested from 1904, from crooked stud poker deals.

Meaning "outstanding pilot" dates from 1917 (technically, in World War I aviators' jargon, one who has brought down 10 enemy planes from French l'ace (1915), was used in prewar French sporting publications for "top of the deck" boxers, cyclists, etc.

Sports meaning "point scored" (1819) led to the sense of "unreturnable serve" in tennis (by 1889).

adapted from Etymology Dictionary

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How English uses ACE:

ace = top (genial, geil, super, Star-, spitze, klasse)
ACE comb® [Am.] = back pocket comb (Hintertaschenkamm)

to ace = get an A (die Note 1 bekommen)
to ace sth. = etw. mit links schaffen
to ace sb./sth. out (Am.) = to outdo (jdn./etw. ausstechen (übertreffen)
to ace = to cheat (betrügen)
to ace sb = to kill sb (jdn. umlegen, umbringen)
to be ace = to be tops (abgefahren sein)
to play an ace = ein Ass ausspielen
to serve an ace = ein Ass servieren (Tennis)

ace = the highest ranked card in deck of cards
ace = one in dice (Eins uf dem Würfel)
ace (in card games, in tennis and golf) = expert (Könner)
ace = unreturned serve in tennis
ace of clubs = Kreuzass
ace of diamonds = Karoass
ace of hearts = Herzass
ace of spades = Pikass

Flying ace = Fliegerass)
ace driver = erstklassiger Fahrer
ace photographer = Starfotograf
ace reporter = Starreporter
ace striker (football]) = absoluter Top-Stürmer(in)
skiing ace = Skiass {n}sports
sporting ace = Sportkanone
tennis ace = Tennis-Ass {n}sports

ACRONYMS
A.C.E. = Allied Command Europe
ACE = angiotensin-converting enzyme

I was within an ace of falling = nearly, almost (Beinahe wäre ich gefallen)
to have an ace in the hole (up one's sleeve) = (noch) ein Ass (einen Trumpf) im Ärmel (in der Hand) haben