charlatan

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a person who falsely claims to have special knowledge or skill, usually in order to deceive others

   The supposed investment expert was exposed as a charlatan with no financial training.

2. 2
   noun

   historically, an itinerant seller of supposed medicines or remedies

   The charlatan drew a crowd by promising that his tonic could cure every illness.

Simplified etymology

Charlatan entered English through French from Italian ciarlatano, related to ciarlare, “to babble.” In the early 17th century it referred to a fast-talking seller of fraudulent remedies.

From French charlatan, from Italian ciarlatano ("quack"), associated with ciarlare ("to chatter, babble"); it has also been explained as influenced by cerretano, a hawker or supposed healer from Cerreto. The early English sense was a travelling seller of sham remedies, later broadened to anyone who falsely claims expertise.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary