wisecrack

English

Etymology

From wise +‎ crack.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwaɪzˌkɹæk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

wisecrack (plural wisecracks)

1. A witty or sarcastic comment or quip.

   Near-synonyms: see Thesaurus:joke

   • 1904, Chuck Connors, Bowery life:

     Cut it out, Sis, an' lissen ter er wise crack. Will yer be nice if I pay yer fine?

Verb

wisecrack (third-person singular simple present wisecracks, present participle wisecracking, simple past and past participle wisecracked)

1. (intransitive, sometimes transitive) To make a sarcastic, flippant, or sardonic comment.

   Synonym: crack wise

Related terms

• wiseacre, wiseass, wisecracker, wiseguy (agents who wisecrack); see also Thesaurus:know-it-all

Anagrams

• crack wise