Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Wiseacre"
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) 1.7 (wn)
wiseacre
n : an upstart who makes conceited, sardonic, insolent comments
[syn: {wise guy}, {smart aleck}, {wisenheimer}, {weisenheimer}]
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