wiseacre

English

Etymology

a 1600, from Middle Dutch wijssegger (“soothsayer”), from Old High German wīzzago, wīzago (“wise man, prophet, soothsayer”), from Proto-Germanic *wītagô (“wise one; prophet”). Cognate with Old English wītega (“wise man, prophet”). See also Weissager (“soothsayer, seer”).

Noun

wiseacre (plural wiseacres)

One who feigns knowledge or cleverness; one who is wisecracking; an insolent upstart.
- 1869, Mark Twain, the Innocents Abroad, Random House (2003), pages 298-299
  That other class of wiseacres who twist prophecy in such a manner as to make it promise the destruction and desolation of the same city, use judgement just as bad, since the city is in a very flourishing condition now, unhappily for them.
(obsolete) A learned or wise man.
- Leland
  Pythagoras learned much […] becoming a mighty wiseacre.

Synonyms

Derived terms

wiseacring

Translations

one who feigns knowledge or cleverness

German: Klugscheißer (de) m, Besserwisser (de) m, Neunmalkluger m

Italian: saccente (it) m

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.