Quack, n. 1. The cry of the duck, or a sound in imitation of it; a
hoarse, quacking noise. Chaucer.
2. [Cf. Quacksalver.] A boastful pretender to medical skill; an
empiric; an ignorant practitioner.
3. Hence, one who boastfully pretends to skill or knowledge of any kind
not possessed; a charlatan.
Quacks political; quacks scientific, academical.
Carlyle.
Quack, a. Pertaining to or characterized by, boasting and pretension;
used by quacks; pretending to cure diseases; as, a quack medicine; a
quack doctor.
Quack"er*y (?), n.; pl. Quackeries (&?;). The acts, arts, or boastful
pretensions of a quack; false pretensions to any art; empiricism.
Carlyle.
Quack" grass` (?). (Bot.) See Quitch grass.
Quack"ish, a. Like a quack; boasting; characterized by quackery. Burke.
Quack"ism (?), n. Quackery. Carlyle.
Quac"kle (?), v. i. & t. [imp. & p. p. Quackled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quackling (?).] [Cf.Querken.] To suffocate; to choke. [Prov. Eng.]
Quack"sal*ver (?), 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.
{ Quad (?), Quade (?) }, a. [Akin to AS. cwd, cwead, dung, evil, G.
kot, dung, OHG. qut.] Evil; bad; baffling; as, a quade wind. [Obs.]
Sooth play, quad play, as the Fleming saith.
Chaucer.
Quad, n. (Print.) A quadrat.