Question

Read this sentence from "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe:

In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere.

What does the word quack likely mean?

Answer 1

a person who claims to have a specific skilled that he does not have

Answer 2

a person who falsely claims to have special knowledge and skill in some area

Step-by-step explanation:

The word quack is used to describe somebody who is deceitful and fraudulent, and boasts about his (false) expertise regarding a specific topic. However, in "The Cask of Amontillado," Montresor does not mention the exact reason why he decides to kill Fortunato.