mountebank
UK[ˈmaʊntɪbæŋk]US[ˈmaʊntəbæŋk]
n
a person who deceives others, especially in order to trick them out of their money; a charlatan.
n
historically, a person who sold dubious medicines or cures in public places, using stories, tricks, or entertainment to attract customers.
Morpheme Breakdown
mounte
bank
mounte
climb
bank
bench/table
Etymology
the word mountebank entered english in the late 16th century from the italian phrase montambanco or monta in banco, literally meaning 'mount on bench'. it originally referred specifically to a traveling charlatan who would climb onto a bench in a public square to sell fake medicines, entertain the crowd with stories, juggling, or tricks, and ultimately swindle them. the term's journey from a literal description of a performer's action to a metaphor for any deceitful trickster or swindler is a classic example of semantic broadening based on the perceived dishonesty of the trade. the logic is direct: the person who 'mounts the bench' is, by historical association, a showy fraud.
Analysis
Structure: mounte (climb) + bank (bench/table)
mounte: from italian montare, meaning 'to mount' or 'to climb'. in this compound, it carries the sense of mounting or getting up onto a platform.
bank: from italian banco, meaning 'bench' or 'table'. it refers to the bench or platform the performer would stand on.
Examples
the charismatic speaker was dismissed by critics as nothing more than a political mountebank.
in the old marketplace, a mountebank was hawking a miraculous elixir he claimed could cure any ailment.
she saw through his flattery and grandiose promises, recognizing him for the mountebank he was.