quack

¹

[kwak]

noun

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

verb (used without object)

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

quack

²

[kwak]

noun

1. a fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill.

   Desperation for a cure led her to a quack who took her money.

2. a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or qualifications they do not possess; a charlatan.

   Synonyms: phony, mountebank

adjective

1. being a fraudulent or ignorant pretender to skills, especially medical skills.

   He's just a quack psychologist who complicates everyone's problems.

2. presented falsely as having curative powers.

   quack medicine.

3. of, relating to, or befitting a quack or quackery.

   Her quack methods have helped no one.

verb (used with object)

1. to treat in the manner of a fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill.

2. to advertise or sell with fraudulent claims.

quack

¹

/ kwæk /

noun

1. 1. an unqualified person who claims medical knowledge or other skills

   2. ( as modifier )

      a quack doctor

2. informal,  a doctor; physician or surgeon

verb

1. (intr) to act in the manner of a quack

quack

²

/ kwæk /

verb

1. (of a duck) to utter a harsh guttural sound

2. to make a noise like a duck

noun

1. the harsh guttural sound made by a duck

Other Word Forms

• quackish adjective
• quackishly adverb
• quackishness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of quack¹

First recorded in 1570–80; imitative; compare Dutch kwakken, German quacken

Origin of quack²

First recorded in 1630–40; short for quacksalver

Word History and Origins

Origin of quack¹

C17: short for _quacksalver

Origin of quack²

C17: of imitative origin; related to Dutch kwakken, German quacken

Example Sentences

The dead duck on the mantelpiece let out a single protesting quack, but the portrait of Edward Ashton remained unchanged.

Read more on Literature

“Mother getting married? Some quack fortune-teller raising the dead, in my own home? Not sure how I feel about any of it, frankly. If anyone is looking for me, I’ll be at my club.”

Read more on Literature

One of the firm’s employees, sitting with a colleague beside a pond in Central Park, noted that ducks quacking nearby sounded like they were saying “Aflac.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Fischer elaborated, “Whatever reaction shot you’re seeing, he’s just reacting to us saying funny words like ‘neon sign’ or ‘chicken’ or something like ‘quack a duck.’

Read more on Salon

It’s in service of crank conspiracy theories, quack wellness influencers and weird dystopian visions of supermen doing pull-ups to demonstrate their patriotism.

Read more on Salon