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C — Chare to Charles's Wain (Part 6 of 6)

Charlatan
(Char"la*tan) n. [F. charlatan, fr. It. ciarlatano, fr. ciarlare to chartter, prate; of imitative origin; cf. It. zirlare to whistle like a thrush.] One who prates much in his own favor, and makes unwarrantable pretensions; a quack; an impostor; an empiric; a mountebank.

Charlatanic
(Char`la*tan"ic Char`la*tan"ic*al) a. Of or like a charlatan; making undue pretension; empirical; pretentious; quackish.Char`la*tan"ic*al*ly, adv.

Charlatanism
(Char"la*tan*ism) n. [Cf. F. charlatanisme.] Charlatanry.

Charlatanry
(Char"la*tan*ry) n. [F. charlatanrie, from It. ciarlataneria. See Charlatan.] Undue pretensions to skill; quackery; wheedling; empiricism.

Charles's Wain
(Charles's Wain) [Charles + wain; cf. AS. Carles wn Sw. karlvagnen, Dan. karlsvogn. See Churl, and Wain.] (Astron.) The group of seven stars, commonly called the Dipper, in the constellation Ursa Major, or Great Bear. See Ursa major, under Ursa.

The name is sometimes also applied to the Constellation.