Dictionary.com

mountebank

[ moun-tuh-bangk ]
/ ˈmaʊn təˌbæŋk /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for mountebank on Thesaurus.com
noun
a person who sells quack medicines, as from a platform in public places, attracting and influencing an audience by tricks, storytelling, etc.
any charlatan or quack.
verb (used without object)
to act or operate as a mountebank.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of mountebank

1570–80; (<Middle French ) <Italian montimbanco one who climbs on a bench, equivalent to mont(are) to climb (see mount1) + -im-, variant of in on + banco bench (see bank2)

OTHER WORDS FROM mountebank

moun·te·bank·er·y [moun-tuh-bangk-uh-ree], /ˈmaʊn təˌbæŋk ə ri/, noun

Words nearby mountebank

Mountbatten, Mount Carmel man, Mount Clemens, Mount Cook lily, Mount Desert Island, mountebank, mounted, mounter, Mount Everest, Mount Gambier, Mountie
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to mountebank

cheat, grifter, imposter, swindler

How to use mountebank in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mountebank

mountebank
/ (ˈmaʊntɪˌbæŋk) /
noun
(formerly) a person who sold quack medicines in public places
a charlatan; fake
verb
(intr) to play the mountebank

Derived forms of mountebank

mountebankery, noun

Word Origin for mountebank

C16: from Italian montambanco a climber on a bench, from montare to mount ² + banco bench (see also bank 1)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK