quacksalver

Meaning

One falsely claiming to possess medical or other skills, especially one who dispenses potions, ointments, etc., supposedly having curative powers; a quack.

Synonyms

charlatan

quack

mountebank

fake doctor

simulator

trickster

imposter

quack doctor

pretender

Translations

Quacksalber

ciarlatano

charlatán

curandero

charlatan

médicastre

kwakzalver

marchand d'orviétan

medicastro

charlatão

curandero

medicastro

Kurpfuscher

αλμπάνης

κομπογιαννίτης

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkwæksælvə/

Etymology

Cognate with Dutch: zalf

In summary

From Dutch quacksalver (“a hawker of salve”) (now spelt kwakzalver), derived from Middle Dutch quacsalven (noun or verb), from kwaken (“to boast, to brag; to croak”) + salve (“ointment, salve”) (modern Dutch zalf) + -er (agent noun suffix).