What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Cluck vs Quack - What's the difference?

cluck | quack |

As nouns the difference between cluck and quack

is that cluck is the sound made by a hen, especially when brooding, or calling her chicks while quack is the sound made by a duck.

As verbs the difference between cluck and quack

is that cluck is to make such a sound while quack is to make a noise like a duck.

As an adjective quack is

falsely presented as having medicinal powers.

cluck

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (dialectal) * (l)

Noun

(en noun)
  • The sound made by a hen, especially when brooding, or calling her chicks.
  • Any sound similar to this.
  • A kind of tongue click used to urge on a horse.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make such a sound.
  • To call together, or call to follow, as a hen does her chickens.
  • * Shakespeare
  • She, poor hen, fond of no second brood, / Has clucked three to the wars.
  • to suffer withdrawal from heroin.
  • See also

    * cackle English onomatopoeias

    quack

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) *.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The sound made by a duck.
  • Did you hear that duck make a quack ?

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make a noise like a duck.
  • The more breadcrumbs I threw on the ground, the more they quacked .
    Do you hear the ducks quack ?
    Derived terms
    *

    References

    Etymology 2

    (wikipedia quack) c 1630, shortening of quacksalver, from (etyl)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A fraudulent healer or incompetent professional, especially a doctor of medicine; an impostor who claims to have qualifications to practice medicine.
  • That doctor is nothing but a lousy quack !
    Polly (to security guard, referring to Dr. Feingarten): Are you going to let that shyster in there?
    Dr. Feingarten': I could sue you, Polly. A shyster is a disreputable lawyer. I'm a ' quack .
    - From the motion picture
  • * 1662 : Rump: or an Exact Collection of the Choycest Poems and Songs Relating to Late Times, Vol. II , by ‘the most Eminent Wits’
  • Tis hard to say, how much these Arse-wormes do urge us, We now need no Quack but these Jacks for to purge us, [...]
  • * 1720 : William Derham, Physico-theology
  • After ?ome Months, the Quack gets privately to Town, [...]
  • * 1843 , '', book 2, ch. 8, ''The Electon
  • ‘if we are ourselves valets, there shall ‘exist no hero for us; we shall not know the hero when we see him;’ - we shall take the quack for a hero; and cry, audibly through all ballot-boxes and machinery whatsoever, Thou art he; be thou King over us!
  • A charlatan.
  • Carlyle
  • Quacks political; quacks scientific, academical.
  • (slang) A doctor.
  • Synonyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To practice or commit quackery.
  • (obsolete) To make vain and loud pretensions; to boast.
  • * Hudibras
  • To quack of universal cures.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • falsely presented as having medicinal powers.
  • Don't get your hopes up; that's quack medicine!