Quackery
/ˈkwæk.ə.ri/noun
The practice or methods of a fraudulent or ignorant pretended doctor or healer.
Did you know?The insult comes from Dutch quacksalver, literally a “boaster of salve,” and English later stripped it down into a term for sham medicine.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Dutch
kwaksalver
“A hawker or seller of remedies who boasts loudly about his cures; a mountebank healer.”
16th Century
Dutch
kwacken
“To chatter, boast, or make noisy claims.”
16th Century
Dutch
salven
“To apply salve or ointment; to heal with remedies.”
Late 16th Century
English
quacksalver
“A peddler of medicines; a fraudulent healer.”
17th Century
English
quack
“A boastful or fraudulent pretender to medical skill.”
17th–18th Century
English
quackery
“The practice or profession of a quack; fraudulent medical practice.”
Explore more surprising origins