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Webster 1913 Edition

Wiseacre

Wise′a-cre

,
Noun.
[OD.
wijssegger
or G.
weissager
a foreteller, prophet, from
weissagen
to foretell, to prophesy, OHG.
wīssag[GREEK]n
, corrupted (as if compounded of the words for
wise
and
say
) fr.
wīzzag[GREEK]n
, fr.
wīzzag[GREEK]
a prophet, akin to AS.
wītiga
,
wītga
, from the root of E.
wit
. See
Wit
,
Verb.
]
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.

Webster 1828 Edition

Wiseacre

WISEACRE

,
Noun.
More correctly wisesager. [G., a sayer, a predictor or foreteller.] One who makes pretensions to great wisdom; hence in contempt, a simpleton; a dunce.

Definition 2025

wiseacre

wiseacre

English

Noun

wiseacre ‎(plural wiseacres)

  1. One who feigns knowledge or cleverness; one who is wisecracking; an insolent upstart.
  2. (obsolete) A learned or wise man.
    Pythagoras learned much […] becoming a mighty wiseacre. — Leland.

Synonyms

Derived terms

  • wiseacring

Translations

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”).

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