Macquarie Dictionary has named its word of the year for 2017, and it's sent plenty of people scrambling to the Google search bar today. The "milkshake duck" is a well-known term among avid Twitter users, but it's left quite a few others scratching their heads.

But the phenomenon it describes should be familiar to anyone who's witnessed the often harsh cycles of viral news – especially those that start off as a "feel good" story.

A milkshake duck is a seemingly innocent individual or thing that is initially embraced and beloved by the internet's mass audience, only to be brought crashing down when further investigation reveals them to possess a fatal flaw.

The term was coined in June 2016 by Australian cartoonist Ben Ward, who tweeted the following sketch from his Twitter account @pixelatedboat: "The whole internet loves Milkshake Duck, a lovely duck that drinks milkshakes! *5 seconds later* We regret to inform you the duck is racist."