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snake oil in WordNet English dictionary
noun- communication (written or spoken) intended to deceive
humbug snake oil
- (medicine) any of various liquids sold as medicine (as by a travelling medicine show) but medically worthless
snake oil
WordNet Lexical Database v3.0, © 2006 Princeton University
snake oil in English Wiktionary
- (noun) A type of 19th century patent medicine sold in the United States that claimed to contain snake fat, supposedly a Native American remedy for various ailment / ailments.
- (noun) (idiom) A fraudulent, ineffective potion or nostrum; panacea.
- (noun) (idiom) Any product with exaggerated marketing but questionable or unverifiable quality.
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