What is Duck test?
[[File:Mallard2.jpg|thumb|alt=Mallard duck swimming in a lake|A [[mallard]] looking like a duck and swimming like a duck.]] The '''duck test''' is a type of test that determines whether an unknown thing acts like another thing. More specifically, this test is a form of [[abductive reasoning]], a type of strategy that aims to simplify a conclusion. The duck test is usually written in this expression: {{blockquote|If it looks like a [[duck]], swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.}} If an unknown subject looks like something that is very similar to a familiar thing, then that unknown subject is concluded to be that familiar thing. In the above example, an unknown subject who swims like a duck and quacks like a duck likely ''is'' a duck. The duck test can be used to identify similar cases. The duck test can be used to identify an unknown subject by observing the common habits of that subject. Sometimes, the duck test can be used to prove that the subject is actually not what what it appears to be. {{stub}} [[Category:Tests]]