ace card
1
4.7
- noun
- /eɪs kɑrd/
- Informal
:
carta clave
- In the final moments of the debate, she revealed her ace card to win the audience's support.
Examples
-
They got the ace card.
Blog text (29) -
The argument continued the next morning after breakfast at Friendly's, it continued in the car, it continued at Gate 14, and I was fed up enough to play my ace card, "Oh God, I'm coming," rendered in Farsi, when an official announced over the intercom that friends and relatives waiting for Flight 503 would be escorted to a special waiting area.
Fiction book (2000) -
The company has a unique marketing strategy, which they consider their ace card for attracting new clients.
-
His extensive knowledge of the local market is his ace card in negotiations with international partners.
Synonyms
9
6.1
A hidden advantage you keep until you need it
5
3.8
A strong advantage that gives someone a winning edge
3
7.0
A hidden advantage that someone keeps to use later
A secret advantage someone keeps to use when needed
Antonyms
How Advantageous
- Informal
5
3.8
- Informal
1
4.7
∞
2.8
770
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
ace + card
The meaning 'key advantage' comes from the metaphor of an ace as a high-value playing card, so there is a loose connection to the constituents. However, that connection depends on knowledge of the playing-card sense of 'ace' and card-game conventions (and the provided 'ace' sense here is 'skilled person'), so the meaning is not fully predictable for a B1 learner and requires some cultural/lexical knowledge.
Etymology
Ace card comes from old card games where an ace was the strongest card and players often kept it until the right moment to win. So, an ace card today means a 'key advantage' or 'secret weapon' you save for the crucial moment.