a basic test of the important aspects of the system

a cursory examination of all of the basic components of a software system to ensure that they work

a series of test cases that are run prior to commencing with full-scale testing of an application

a subset of the test cases that is typically representative of the overall test plan. For example, if there is a product with a dozen test plans (each of which has hundreds of test cases), then a smoke test for that product might just contain a few dozen test cases (with just one or two test cases from each test plan). The goal of a smoke test is to verify the breadth of the software functionality without going into depth on any one feature or requirement. (The name “smoke test” originally came from the world of electrical engineering. The first time a new circuit under development is attached to a power source, an especially glaring error may cause certain parts to start to smoke; at that point, there is no reason to continue to test the circuit.)

Gravity rated plumbing test for leakage, in which smoke is forced through the interior of the pipe and the joints are checked to see if any smoke is leaking out.