> Are duplicates duplicate questions

> Are duplicates duplicate answers

The text that is inserted into the question when it is closed as a duplicate gives a clue as to it's intended usage

[![Already Answered][1]][1]

Something that reinforces this is that you cannot close a question as duplicate if the target has no answers. Duplicates are questions that already have an answer.

>     When do we close as duplicate

Close as duplicate when the answer to the question is answered by the target - _simples_.

Allegedly one of the greatest benefits of the SE engine is that questions that already have answers can be closed a duplicates. [Sadly it's often way easier to answer a question that you know already has an answer than it is to find the duplicate you know exists.][2]


  [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/VgYET.png
  [2]: http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/232242/help-us-find-duplicates-efficiently