Dictionary.com

quacksalver

[ kwak-sal-ver ]
/ ˈkwækˌsæl vər /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for quacksalver on Thesaurus.com

noun

a quack doctor.
a charlatan.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
their
there
they're
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of quacksalver

1570–80; <early Dutch (now kwakzalver); see quack1, salve1, -er1

Words nearby quacksalver

qua, Quaalude, quack, quackery, quack grass, quacksalver, Quaco, quad, quad-band, quad bike, Quad Cities
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to quacksalver

mountebank, faker, fake, sharp, whip, counterfeit, actor, cheat, counterfeiter, sham, humbug, phony, bum, pretender, fraud, impostor, pseudo, put-on, charlatan, shark

Example sentences from the Web for quacksalver

  • Francis Quicksilver, would God thou hadst turned quacksalver, rather than run into these dissolute and lewd courses!

    The Works of John Marston|John Marston

  • I have done ill to unbosom myself so far to this poisonous quacksalver.

    The Fair Maid of Perth|Sir Walter Scott

  • Am I not yclept quacksalver by those that come not near me, and wizard by those I heal?

    The Cloister and the Hearth|Charles Reade

British Dictionary definitions for quacksalver

quacksalver
/ (ˈkwækˌsælvə) /

noun

an archaic word for quack 2

Word Origin for quacksalver

C16: from Dutch, from quack, apparently: to hawk + salf salve 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
Tired of Typos? Get Help Now!