moun|te|bank

moun|te|bank
moun|te|bank «MOWN tuh bangk», noun, verb.
–n.
1. anybody who tries to deceive people by tricks, stories, and jokes; charlatan: »

He has a reputation as one of the most corrupt and unimaginative mountebanks in Brazilian politics (New Republic). I am a natural-born mountebank (George Bernard Shaw).

2. a person who sells quack medicines in public, appealing to his audience by means of tricks, stories, and jokes: »

an impudent mountebank who sold pills which…were very good against an earthquake (Joseph Addison).

–v.i.
to play the mountebank.
╂[< Italian montambanco for monta in banco (literally) mount on bench (because such quacks usually spoke from an elevated platform)]

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • moun|te|bank|er|y — «MOWN tuh BANG kuhr ee», noun, plural er|ies. the practice of a mountebank; action characteristic of or suited to a mountebank: »It fills the stage with mountebankery that is broad and funny (New York Times) …   Useful english dictionary

  • moun·te·bank — /ˈmaʊntıˌbæŋk/ noun, pl banks [count] old fashioned + literary : a dishonest person : a person who tricks and cheats other people a gang of swindlers and mountebanks …   Useful english dictionary

  • moun — moun·seer; moun·tained; moun·tain·less; moun·tain·ous; moun·tain·ous·ness; moun·tain·ward; moun·tainy; moun·tant; moun·te·bank·ery; moun·tain; moun·tain·eer; moun·te·bank; moun·tain·ous·ly; moun·tain·wards; …   English syllables

  • bank — bank; bank·man; bank·roll·er; bank·rupt·cy; bank·sku·ta; can·ta·bank; em·bank; em·bank·ment; in·ter·bank; maas·bank·er; moun·te·bank·ery; bank·a·ble; bank·rupt; moun·te·bank; non·bank; bank·abil·i·ty; bank·skoi·te; hand·bank·er; sal·tim·bank; …   English syllables

  • Bank — Yon enstitisyon ki okipe afè lajan pou yon peyi, yon gwoup moun, yon gwoup peyi. Bank sèvi tankou medyatè ant moun ki gen lajan pou prete e moun ki bezwen prete lajan. Kote moun ki gen kòb sere kòb yo. Kote moun mete lajan yo posede pou prete… …   Definisyon 2500 mo Kreyòl

  • mountebank — moun·te·bank …   English syllables

  • mountebank — moun·te·bank mau̇nt i .baŋk n an itinerant hawker of pills and patent medicines esp. from a platform: QUACK <bought an unction of a mountebank (Shak.)> …   Medical dictionary

  • mountebank — moun|te|bank [ˈmauntıbæŋk] n literary [Date: 1500 1600; : Italian; Origin: montimbanco, from monta in banco get on the bench ; because people selling things to the public stood on a raised surface] a dishonest person who tricks and deceives… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • mountebank — moun|te|bank [ mauntə,bæŋk ] noun count OLD FASHIONED someone who pretends to be someone they are not or pretends to be able to do things they cannot do: FRAUD …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • mountebankery — moun·te·bank·ery …   English syllables

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