alec
alec Lexical Profile
alec Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An obnoxiously conceited, self-important, or know-it-all person (usually used in the phrase 'smart alec', a variant spelling of 'aleck').
"Nobody appreciates a smart alec who constantly interrupts the lecture just to show off."
A savory sauce or paste made from fermented small fish (such as anchovies or herrings) or the sediment left from making garum in ancient Roman cuisine.
"Ancient Roman cooks frequently used alec as a pungent condiment to season simple grain and vegetable dishes."
An archaic or historical term for a small herring, anchovy, or similar clupeid fish preserved in salt or brine.
"Barrels of salted alec were cataloged among the merchant ship's preserved provisions."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern usage, the word is most familiar as a variant spelling in the colloquial compound 'smart alec' (more commonly spelled 'smart aleck'), which derives from the given name Alexander rather than the historical Latin term for fish sauce.
• Rhymes for alec
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Latin allec or halec, referring to the sediment of fermented fish sauce (garum). The sense meaning a conceited person is an alteration of 'aleck', a diminutive of the given name Alexander.