v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Qvacked p. pr. & vb. n. Quacking. ] [ Of imitative origin; cf. D. kwaken, G. quacken, quaken, Icel. kvaka to twitter. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To utter a sound like the cry of a duck. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make vain and loud pretensions; to boast. “ To quack of universal cures.” Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To act the part of a quack, or pretender. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The cry of the duck, or a sound in imitation of it; a hoarse, quacking noise. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ Cf. Quacksalver. ] A boastful pretender to medical skill; an empiric; an ignorant practitioner. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Hence, one who boastfully pretends to skill or knowledge of any kind not possessed; a charlatan. [ 1913 Webster ]

Quacks political; quacks scientific, academical. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to or characterized by, boasting and pretension; used by quacks; pretending to cure diseases; as, a quack medicine; a quack doctor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Quackeries The acts, arts, or boastful pretensions of a quack; false pretensions to any art; empiricism. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) See Quitch grass. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a quack; boasting; characterized by quackery. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quackery. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. & t. [ imp. & p. p. Quackled p. pr. & vb. n. Quackling ] [ Cf.Querken. ] To suffocate; to choke. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ D. kwakzalver; cf. kwakzalven to quack or boast of one's salves. See Quack, Salve, n. ] One who boasts of his skill in medicines and salves, or of the efficacy of his prescriptions; a charlatan; a quack; a mountebank. [ Obs. ] Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]