quackish
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.
00:10
Quackish
is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
verb (used with object)
6.
to treat in the manner of a quack.
7.
to advertise or sell with fraudulent claims.
Related forms
quack·ish, adjective
quack·ish·ly, adverb
quack·ish·ness, noun
Synonyms
2. mountebank, phony.
2. mountebank, phony.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To quackish
Collins
World English Dictionary
quack1 (kwæk) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | (of a duck) to utter a harsh guttural sound |
| 2. | to make a noise like a duck |
| —n | |
| 3. | the harsh guttural sound made by a duck |
| [C17: of imitative origin; related to Dutch kwakken, German quacken] | |
| quack2 (kwæk) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a. an unqualified person who claims medical knowledge or other skills |
| b. (as modifier): a quack doctor | |
| 2. | informal (Brit), (Austral), (NZ) a doctor; physician or surgeon |
| —vb | |
| 3. | (intr) to act in the manner of a quack |
| [C17: short for | |
| 'quackish2 | |
| —adj | |
| quack2 (kwæk) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a. an unqualified person who claims medical knowledge or other skills |
| b. (as modifier): a quack doctor | |
| 2. | informal (Brit), (Austral), (NZ) a doctor; physician or surgeon |
| —vb | |
| 3. | (intr) to act in the manner of a quack |
| [C17: short for | |
| 'quackish2 | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
quack
"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
"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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
quack (kwāk)
n.
An untrained person who pretends to be a physician and dispenses medical advice and treatment.
A charlatan.
quack'er·y n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Slang Dictionary
quack definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Nearby Words
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