alec
noun
a herring.
alec
1 American
[al-ik]
/ ˈæl ɪk /
noun
Obsolete.
-
a herring.
-
a sauce or relish made from small herring or anchovies.
alec
2
American
[al-ik]
/ ˈæl ɪk /
noun
Australian.
Alec
3
American
[al-ik]
/ ˈæl ɪk /
Or
Aleck
noun
Etymology
Origin of alec1
1510–20; < Latin ( h ) al ( l ) ec fish sauce
Origin of alec2
1920–25; cf. smart aleck ( def. ); sense shift perhaps originally from ironic usage
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Sometimes Alex is a smart alec: the chapter sending up his academy school and peer group reads like the revenge of the nerd.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 15, 2013
Obviously a smart alec statement, insinuating that Mooney talked for publicity's sake alone, instead of for a cause in which he sincerely believes.
From Time Magazine Archive
Seneca reproaches them with this refinement of cruelty—“Oculis quoque gulosi sunt;” and the most renowned of Apicius’s culinary discoveries was the alec, a compound of their livers.
From Curiosities of Medical Experience by J. G. (John Gideon) Millingen
Hootsey could not be sure if Nibbles was being a "smart alec" or was just paying him a complement.
From The Forest Monster of Oz by Bob Evans
Revisit some of the show’s best jingles and parodies, appreciate Alec Baldwin’s singular performance as Jack Donaghy, and test your memory with this quiz.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
Alec Litowitz spent more than three decades navigating markets when the old-school rules stopped working.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
And after Ivan Herrera moved Báez to third via a groundout, Alec Burleson tied the score at five with a sacrifice fly to right.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
She performed in radio productions such as The Archers and an adaptation of John le Carre's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, opposite Sir Alec Guinness.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Mark exchanged a look with Alec and Lana, sure that they understood the deep significance as much as he did.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
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