Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Popular Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

charlatanic

 - 5 dictionary results

char⋅la⋅tan

  [shahr-luh-tn]
Use charlatanic in a Sentence
–noun
a person who pretends to more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses; quack.
Origin:
1595–1605; < MF < It ciarlatano, equiv. to ciarla(tore) chatterer (deriv. of ciarlare to chatter; from imit. root) + (cerre)tano hawker, quack, lit., native of Cerreto, a village in Umbria, known for its quacks

Related forms:
char⋅la⋅tan⋅ic  [shahr-luh-tan-ik] , char⋅la⋅tan⋅i⋅cal, char⋅la⋅tan⋅ish, char⋅la⋅tan⋅is⋅tic, adjective
char⋅la⋅tan⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
impostor, mountebank, fraud, fake, phony.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To charlatanic
char·la·tan   (shär'lə-tən)   
n.  A person who makes elaborate, fraudulent, and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge; a quack or fraud.

[French, from Italian ciarlatano, probably alteration (influenced by ciarlare, to prattle) of cerretano, inhabitant of Cerreto, a city of Italy once famous for its quacks.]
char'la·tan'ic (-tān'ĭk), char'la·tan'i·cal adj., char'la·tan·ism, char'la·tan·ry n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

charlatan 
1611, from It. ciarlatano "a quack," from ciarlare "to prate, babble," from ciarla "chat, prattle," perhaps imitative of ducks' quacking.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: char·la·tan
Pronunciation: 'shär-l&t-&n
Function: noun
: QUACK <charlatans killing their patients with empirical procedures>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

charlatan char·la·tan (shär'lə-tən)
n.
A person fraudulently claiming knowledge and skills not possessed.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see charlatanic on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way