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mountebank

Pronunciation: /ˈmaʊntəˌbæŋk/

The English word “mountebank” has 6 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. One who sells dubious medicines.
  2. One who sells by deception; a con artist.
  3. Any boastful, false pretender.
  4. An acrobat.

verb

  1. To act as a mountebank.
  2. To cheat by boasting and false pretenses.

Etymology

From archaic Italian montambanco (“quack who mounts a bench to hawk his wares”), contracted from monta-in-banco (“mount on bench”).

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