Definition

Noun: 1. The playing card in the spade suit marked with a single large pip (♠A): This is the ace card from the spade suit in a standard deck of playing cards. 2. A symbol sometimes associated with death or bad luck: In some cultural and superstitious contexts, this specific card has been interpreted as an omen or portent of death.

Usage

• The term "ace of spades" is used to identify the specific card in games, magic tricks, and discussions about playing cards.
• When used symbolically, it often carries a dark or ominous connotation.

Examples

• Literal use:
  • He drew the ace of spades from the deck.
  • In many card games, the ace of spades is the highest-ranking card in its suit.
• Symbolic use:
  • Finding an ace of spades on his doorstep was seen as a grim warning.
  • The soldier had an ace of spades painted on his helmet as a personal emblem.

Advanced Usage

• "To hold the ace of spades": To be in a position of decisive power or to possess a crucial, often unbeatable, advantage in a situation.
  • In the negotiation, their patent gave them the ace of spades.
• Cultural Reference: The card was famously used by American troops during the Vietnam War as a psychological tool and a unit symbol.

Variants and Related Words

• Ace: A playing card with a single symbol, often the highest or lowest in its suit.
• Spade: One of the four suits in a deck of playing cards, symbolized by a black ♠ shape.

Synonyms

• The death card (in symbolic/folkloric contexts).
• The spade ace.

Idioms and Phrases

• "As black as the ace of spades": Used to describe something that is completely black or very dark.
  • The night was as black as the ace of spades.
• "To turn up the ace of spades": For an unexpected and typically negative event to occur.
  • Just when we thought the project was safe, the ace of spades turned up with this new regulation.

Noun

1. the ace in the spade suit; sometimes taken as a portent of death