▪ I. quacking, vbl. n.1
(ˈkwækɪŋ)
[f. quack v.1 + -ing1.]
The action or practice of playing the quack; ignorant dabbling in medicine.
| 1652 Wadsworth tr. Colmenero's Treat. Chocolate Introd. Verses. Leave Quacking; and Enucleate The vertues of Chocolate. 1664 Evelyn Sylva 34 Quacking is not my trade: I speak only here as a plain Husband-man. 1702 De Foe Mock Mourners in Misc. (1703) 46 All other Remedies..Are Tampering and Quacking with the State. 1733 Cheyne Eng. Malady iii. Introd. (1734) 265 The Medicines I have only hinted at to prevent the Quacking of Patients themselves. 1827 J. W. Croker in C. Papers 7 Aug. (1884), They found..the patient so reduced by..alternate quacking and indulgence. |
| attrib. 1682 S. Pordage Medal Rev. 210 Some State-Physicians..on thee..would try some quacking trick. |
▪ II. quacking, vbl. n.2
(ˈkwækɪŋ)
[f. quack v.2 + -ing1.]
The uttering of the harsh sound denoted by the vb.
| 1815 W. H. Ireland Scribbleomania 1 The sage waddling goose, Whose quacking you'll own is the very repeater Of my famous Muse. 1880 Mackenzie Dis. Throat & Nose I. 491 The barking of a dog or the quacking of a duck. 1892 Baring-Gould Trag. Cæsars I. 218 Being incommoded by the quacking of frogs he ordered them to be silent. |
▪ III. quacking, ppl. a.1
(ˈkwækɪŋ)
[f. quack v.1 + -ing2.]
That acts or practises as a quack.
| 1628 Venner Baths of Bathe (1650) 357 To..reject the counsell of any quacking Physician. 1722 De Foe Plague (1754) 39 These quacking sort of Fellows rais'd great Gains out of the miserable People. 1843 Le Fevre Life Trav. Phys. II. i. xiv. 31 A more quacking race..does not exist, and they are always swallowing some kind of medicine. |
▪ IV. quacking, ppl. a.2
(ˈkwækɪŋ)
[f. quack v.2 + -ing2.]
That quacks or makes a sound as a duck.
| 1620 Dekker Villanies Disc. xvii, A Quacking cheate, a Ducke. 1898 R. Hichens The Londoners 82 The quacking voice hurled out these last three words with impressive emphasis. |