huckster en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈhʌkstɚ/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Middle English hukster, probably of Low German or Dutch origin, from Middle Low German höken (“to peddle”) or Middle Dutch hokester, itself from hoeken (“to peddle, bend, bear on the back”), all from Proto-Germanic *huk-, probably related to *hūkan- (“to squat”), from *hūkkan-, back-formed from the iterative *huk(k)ōn-, from Proto-Indo-European *kuk-néh₂, from *kewk- (“to curve, bend”) (also the source of English high). Compare hawkster. By surface analysis, huck + -ster.
Meanings
-
A peddler or hawker, who sells small items, either door-to-door, from a stall, or in the street.
drive those china hucksters from the doors
1731 (date written; published 1745), [Jonathan] Swift, Directions to Servants […], London: […] R[obert] Dodsley, […], and M. Cooper, […], →OCLC:
-
Somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner.
Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.
2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36:
- One who deceptively sells fraudulent products; snake oil salesman.
- Somebody who writes advertisements for radio or television.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| huxter | alternative, dated | lexicographic | |
| hucksters | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
huckstress · hucksterage · hucksterer · hucksterize · hucksterish · hucksteress
Relateds
costermonger · pitchman · sutler · spruiker
Translations (16)
fi helppoheikki (one who deceptively sells fraudulent products) · oc teriacaire (somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner) · ru торга́ш (one who deceptively sells fraudulent products) · it imbonitore (somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner) · de Hausierer (somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner) · fr colporteur (somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner) · fr bonimenteur (somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner) · fr bonimenteur (one who deceptively sells fraudulent products) · de Profitmacher (somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner) · de Werbetexter (one who writes advertisements for radio or television) · fi helppoheikki (somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner) · oc colejaire (somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner) · ru бары́га (one who deceptively sells fraudulent products) · bg търгаш (somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner) · ru торга́ш (somebody who sells things in an aggressive or showy manner) · de Werbefritze (one who writes advertisements for radio or television)