wiseacre

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈwaɪzeɪkə(ɹ)/

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wiseacre (plural wiseacres)

1. One who feigns knowledge or cleverness; one who is wisecracking; an insolent upstart.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:know-it-all

   • 1869, Mark Twain, the Innocents Abroad, Random House, published 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.

2. (obsolete) A learned or wise man. [from before 1600]
   • 1776, George Colman, The Deuce is in him. A farce of two acts, page 24:

     A fool's paradise is better than a wiseacre's purgatory.

   • 1828, Henry Dana Ward, Free Masonry, page 46:

     Peter Gower, a Grecian, journied for cunning in Egypt, and in Syria, and in every land where the Venetians had planted Masonry; and winning entrance into all lodges of Masons, he learned much, and returned and dwelt in Grecia Magna; watching and becoming a mighty wiseacre, and greatly renowned, and here he framed a grat lodge at Groton, (Crotona. Mr. Locke,) and maked many Masons; wherefrom, in process of time, the art passed into England.

   • 1970, Daniel Halpern, Antæus, page 40:

     At their village the woman consulted the local wiseacre, explaining the difficulties her son-in-law was creating.

wiseacre (third-person singular simple present wiseacres, present participle wiseacring, simple past and past participle wiseacred)

1. To act like a wiseacre; to wisecrack.