English noun: snake oil | |||
1. | snake oil (substance) (medicine) any of various liquids sold as medicine (as by a travelling medicine show) but medically worthless | ||
Broader (hypernym) | liquid | ||
Domain category | medical specialty, medicine | ||
2. | snake oil (communication) communication (written or spoken) intended to deceive | ||
Synonyms | humbug | ||
Broader (hypernym) | deceit, deception, misrepresentation | ||