Quacksalver
/ˈkwækˌsɑːlvər/noun
A fraudulent or pretentious peddler of medicines or remedies.
Did you know?The word was originally used for a mountebank who advertised cures by shouting in public, and the first element is tied to the sound of quacking or noisy boasting, not ducks as an insult.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Dutch
kwaksalver
“a quack doctor or charlatan who hawks medicines”
16th Century
Low German
quacksalver
“a noisy medicine seller or pretender to medical skill”
Early Modern English
English
quacksalver
“a fraudulent vendor of remedies”
Modern English
English
quack
“a fraudulent or incompetent doctor”
Modern English
English
quacksalver
“a deceptive seller of medicines or cures”