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quack

1
[ kwak ]
/ kwæk /
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See synonyms for: quack / quacked / quacking on Thesaurus.com
noun
the harsh, throaty cry of a duck or any similar sound.
verb (used without object)
to utter the cry of a duck or a sound resembling it.
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Origin of quack

1
1610–20; imitative; compare Dutch kwakken,German quacken

Other definitions for quack (2 of 2)

quack2
[ kwak ]
/ kwæk /
noun
a fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill.
a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to skill, knowledge, or qualifications he or she does not possess; a charlatan.
adjective
verb (used with object)
to treat in the manner of a quack.
to advertise or sell with fraudulent claims.

OTHER WORDS FOR quack

2 mountebank, phony.
See synonyms for quack on Thesaurus.com

Origin of quack

2
First recorded in 1620–30; short for quacksalver

OTHER WORDS FROM quack

quackish, adjectivequack·ish·ly, adverbquack·ish·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to quack

bum, dissembling, fake, phony, pretended, pseudo, sham, simulated, actor, charlatan, cheat, counterfeit, counterfeiter, four-flusher, fraud, humbug, impostor, mountebank, playactor, pretender

How to use quack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for quack (1 of 2)

quack1
/ (kwæk) /
verb (intr)
(of a duck) to utter a harsh guttural sound
to make a noise like a duck
noun
the harsh guttural sound made by a duck

Word Origin for quack

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

British Dictionary definitions for quack (2 of 2)

quack2
/ (kwæk) /
noun
  1. an unqualified person who claims medical knowledge or other skills
  2. (as modifier)a quack doctor
British, Australian and NZ informal a doctor; physician or surgeon
verb
(intr) to act in the manner of a quack

Derived forms of quack

quackish, adjective

Word Origin for quack

C17: short for quacksalver
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

Medical definitions for quack

quack
[ kwăk ]
n.
An untrained person who pretends to be a physician and dispenses medical advice and treatment.
A charlatan.

Other words from quack

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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