A diminutive of the male given name Alexander, from Ancient Greek, of Scottish origin.

An anchovy or herring, especially pickled or dried. / A sauce made from alecs; alec sauce.

plural of alec

Initialism of American Legislative Exchange Council.

Alternative spelling of smart aleck

plural of alec sauce

A savory sauce made from alecs (typically anchovies), especially in Mediterranean cuisine. / A similar savory sauce that contains no alecs.

plural of smart alec

Characteristic of a smart aleck

One who is given to obnoxious or insolent humor. / One who is pretentious about their own cleverness or knowledge. / One who is obnoxiously self-assured; a show off. / (rare) A well-dressed person.