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quack - 12 dictionary results

quack

1 [kwak]

Use quack in a Sentence

–noun

1.	the harsh, throaty cry of a duck or any similar sound.

–verb (used without object)

2.	to utter the cry of a duck or a sound resembling it.

Origin:
1610–20; imit.; cf. D kwakken, G quacken

quack

2 [kwak]

–noun

1.	a fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill.

2.	a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to skill, knowledge, or qualifications he or she does not possess; a charlatan.

–adjective

3.	being a quack: a quack psychologist who complicates everyone's problems.

4.	presented falsely as having curative powers: quack medicine.

5.	of, pertaining to, or befitting a quack or quackery: quack methods.

–verb (used with object)

6.	to treat in the manner of a quack.

7.	to advertise or sell with fraudulent claims.

Origin:
1620–30; short for quacksalver

Related forms:

quackish, adjective

quack⋅ish⋅ly, adverb

quack⋅ish⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
2. mountebank, phony.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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quack¹ (kwāk)

n. The characteristic sound uttered by a duck.
intr.v. quacked, quack·ing, quacks
To utter the characteristic sound of a duck.

[Middle English quek, of imitative origin.]
quack'y adj.

quack² (kwāk)

An untrained person who pretends to be a physician and dispenses medical advice and treatment.
A charlatan; a mountebank.

adj. Relating to or characteristic of a quack: a quack cure.
intr.v. quacked, quack·ing, quacks
To act as a medical quack or a charlatan.

[Short for quacksalver.]
quack'er·y n., quack'ish adj., quack'ish·ly adv.

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

Quack

Quack\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Qvacked; p. pr. & vb. n. Quacking.] [Of imitative origin; cf. D. kwaken, G. quacken, quaken, Icel. kvaka to twitter.]

1. To utter a sound like the cry of a duck.

2. To make vain and loud pretensions; to boast. " To quack of universal cures." --Hudibras.

3. To act the part of a quack, or pretender.

Quack

Quack\, n. 1. The cry of the duck, or a sound in imitation of it; a hoarse, quacking noise. --Chaucer.

2. [Cf. Quacksalver.] A boastful pretender to medical skill; an empiric; an ignorant practitioner.

3. Hence, one who boastfully pretends to skill or knowledge of any kind not possessed; a charlatan.

Quacks political; quacks scientific, academical. --Carlyle.

Quack

Quack\, a. Pertaining to or characterized by, boasting and pretension; used by quacks; pretending to cure diseases; as, a quack medicine; a quack doctor.

Language Translation for : quack

Spanish: graznido,

German: das Quaken,

Japanese: ガーガー

More Translations »

quack (v.)

"to make a duck sound," 1617, quelke, of echoic origin (cf. M.Du. quacken, O.C.S. kvakati, L. coaxare "to croak," Gk. koax "the croaking of frogs," Hitt. akuwakuwash "frog"). M.E. on the quakke (14c.) meant "hoarse, croaking."

quack (n.)

"medical charlatan," 1638, short for quacksalver (1579), from Du. kwaksalver, lit. "hawker of salve," from M.Du. quacken "to brag, boast," lit. "to croak" (see quack (v.)) + zalf "salve." Cf. Ger. Quacksalber, Dan. kvaksalver, Swed. kvacksalvare.

Main Entry: ¹quack
Pronunciation: 'kwak
Function: noun
: a pretender to medical skill : an ignorant or dishonest practitioner quacks of the day —Journal of the American Medical Association> —quack·ish /-ish/ adjective

Main Entry: ²quack
Function: adjective
: of, relating to, characteristic of, or being a quack <quack remedies>

quack (kwāk)
n.

An untrained person who pretends to be a physician and dispenses medical advice and treatment.
A charlatan.

quack'er·y n.

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