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wiseacre |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Wiseacre \Wise"a*cre\, n. [OD. wijssegger or G. weissager a foreteller, prophet, from weissagen to foretell, to prophesy, OHG. w[=i]ssag?n, corrupted (as if compounded of the words for wise and say) fr w[=i]zzag?n, fr w[=i]zzag? a prophet, akin to AS w[=i]tiga, w[=i]tga, from the root of E. wit. See {Wit}, v.] 1. A learned or wise man. [Obs.] Pythagoras learned much . . . becoming a mighty wiseacre. --Leland. 2. One who makes undue pretensions to wisdom; a would-be-wise person; hence in contempt, a simpleton; a dunce. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: wiseacre n : an upstart who makes conceited, sardonic, insolent comments [syn: {wise guy}, {smart aleck}, {wisenheimer}, {weisenheimer}]
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