mountebank

[ moun-tuh-bangk ]
/ ˈmaʊn təˌbæŋk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR mountebank ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who sells quack medicines, as from a platform in public places, attracting and influencing an audience by tricks, storytelling, etc.
any charlatan or quack.

verb (used without object)

to act or operate as a mountebank.

Origin of mountebank

1570–80; (< Middle French) < Italian montimbanco one who climbs on a bench, equivalent to mont(are) to climb (see mount1) + -im-, variant of in on + banco bench (see bank2)

OTHER WORDS FROM mountebank

moun·te·bank·er·y [moun-tuh-bangk-uh-ree] /ˈmaʊn təˌbæŋk ə ri/, noun

Words nearby mountebank

mountainous, mountainside, mountaintop, mountainy, mountbatten, mountebank, mounted, mounter, mountie, mounting, mounting-block

Words related to mountebank

cheat, swindler, grifter, imposter

Example sentences from the Web for mountebank

British Dictionary definitions for mountebank

mountebank
/ (ˈmaʊntɪˌbæŋk) /

noun

(formerly) a person who sold quack medicines in public places
a charlatan; fake

verb

(intr) to play the mountebank

Derived forms of mountebank

mountebankery, noun

Word Origin for mountebank

C16: from Italian montambanco a climber on a bench, from montare to mount ² + banco bench (see also bank 1)