quack
noun/kwæk/
/kwæk/
- the sound that a duck makesTopics Birdsc1
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- (informal, disapproving) a person who dishonestly claims to have medical knowledge or skills
- quack doctors
- I've got a check-up with the quack (= the doctor) next week.
Word Originnoun sense 1 mid 16th cent. (as a verb): imitative. noun sense 2 mid 17th cent.: abbreviation of earlier quacksalver, from Dutch, probably from obsolete quacken ‘prattle’ + salf, zalf (see salve).
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