noun
mountebank
Mountebank (noun) means a person who sells medicines that do not really work.
noun
1
A person who sells medicines that do not really work.
2
Someone who tricks people into buying things; a swindler.
"Gary Dahl, the man behind that scheme—described variously as a marketing genius and a genial mountebank—died on March 23 at 78."
— Margalit Fox, Gary Dahl, Inventor of the Pet Rock, Dies at 78 (2015)
"It has been pointed out in this space before that a number of the titles you'll find shelved under self-help in your local bookshop are, on closer examination, farragos of wooden-headed tripe, written by mountebanks and halfwits."
— Oliver Burkeman, The rise of the anti-self-help movement (2007)
3
A person who boasts and pretends to be something they are not.
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Etymology
Comes from archaic Italian montambanco (“quack who mounts a bench to hawk his wares”), a contraction of monta-in-banco (“mount on bench”).
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of mountebank?
"mountebank" (noun) means a person who sells medicines that do not really work.
What is another word for mountebank?
Other words for "mountebank" include charlatan, chiseler, conman, grifter, quack.
What are the different meanings of mountebank?
"mountebank" has 3 main meanings: 1. A person who sells medicines that do not really work; 2. Someone who tricks people into buying things; a swindler; 3. A person who boasts and pretends to be something they are not.
