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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Slang A person regarded as being disagreeably egotistical and self-assured.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A sayer of wise things; a learned or wise man.
  2. n. One who makes pretensions to great wisdom; hence, in contempt or irony, a would-be wise person; a serious simpleton or dunce.

Wiktionary

  1. n. One who feigns knowledge or cleverness; an insolent upstart.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. A learned or wise man.
  2. n. One who makes undue pretensions to wisdom; a would-be-wise person; hence, in contempt, a simpleton; a dunce.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. an upstart who makes conceited, sardonic, insolent comments

Etymologies

  1. Alteration by folk etymology from Middle Dutch wijsseggher, soothsayer, translation of Middle High German wīssage, from Old High German wīssago, seer, alteration (influenced by forasago, sayer beforehand, prophet) of wīzago, from wīzag, knowledgeable; see weid- in Indo-European roots.

Examples

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Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘wiseacre’.

Comments

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  • hagendas Alteration by folk etymology from Middle Dutch wijsseggher, soothsayer. Jan 10, 2009

  • jimbobaggins A person with an affectation of wisdom. Sep 8, 2008

  • milosrdenstvi Came across this word in an English translation of Comenius's Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Heart, an allegory. The protagonist is constantly being told not to be a wiseacre by the people who lead him around, showing him the attractions of the world, when he questions their lasting value. Aug 15, 2008

  • reesetee Yarb, you say that like it's a bad thing. ;-) Oct 16, 2007

  • npydyuan Yea, the ea is beautiful! Oct 16, 2007

  • chained_bear I love wiseacre for the same reason as I love roseate. It's that weird "ea" thing going on in the middle there. Oct 16, 2007

  • yarb Wise-aker, shurely?

    Sometimes Wordie turns my whole world upside down. Oct 16, 2007

  • reesetee Wiseakker. Jul 6, 2007

  • uselessness Mmm, I could sure go for some cheese and cracres right about now. Jul 6, 2007

  • reesetee Ooh...but "wise-akker" (rhyming with "cracker") sounds pretty good too. Jul 6, 2007

  • jennarenn dictionary.com says WAHYZ-ey-ker Jul 6, 2007

  • arby How the hell is this word pronounced, anyway? Does it rhyme with baker or cracker? Jul 6, 2007

‘wiseacre’ has been looked up 1005 times, loved by 5 people, added to 34 lists, commented on 12 times, and has a Scrabble score of 13.