Definition of QUACKSALVER

quacksalver

Meanings

Plural: quacksalvers

Noun

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

Origin / Etymology

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).

Synonyms

medicaster, quack

Scrabble Score: 29

quacksalver is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
quacksalver is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
quacksalver is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 33

quacksalver is a valid Words With Friends word