if it looks like a duck
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Ellipsis of if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Nếu có vẻ như một con vịt thì nó có thể là một con vịt
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “if it looks like a duck” mean?
Ellipsis of if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
Is “if it looks like a duck” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.