canary

[ kuh-nair-ee ]

noun

, plural ca·nar·ies.

1. any of several Old World finches of the genus Serinus, especially S. canaria common canary, native to the Canary Islands and often kept as a pet, in the wild being greenish with brown streaks above and yellow below and in domesticated varieties usually bright yellow or pale yellow.
2. Also called canary yellow. a light, clear yellow color:

   They sell a shimmer eyeshadow in canary that would look nice with your coloring.

3. Slang. informer ( def 1 ).
4. Slang. a female singer, especially with a dance band.
5. a sweet white wine of the Canary Islands, resembling sherry.
6. Also called ca·nar·y dia·mond [k, uh, -, nair, -ee , dahy, -m, uh, nd, dahy, -, uh, -]. a yellow diamond.

adjective

1. having a light, clear yellow color:

   That canary sweater would pair well with your golden skirt.

canary

/ kəˈnɛərɪ /

noun

1. a small finch, Serinus canaria, of the Canary Islands and Azores: a popular cagebird noted for its singing. Wild canaries are streaked yellow and brown, but most domestic breeds are pure yellow
2. See canary yellow
   See canary yellow
3. history a convict
4. archaic.
   a sweet wine from the Canary Islands similar to Madeira

Word History and Origins

Origin of canary¹

First recorded in 1585–95; from Spanish (Isla) Canaria, from Latin Canāria (insula) “Dog (Island),” from can(is) “dog” ( hound ) + -āria, feminine of -ārius -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of canary¹

C16: from Old Spanish canario of or from the Canary Islands

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. canary in the coal mine, someone or something that serves as an early warning sign of danger or trouble to come:

   These fish are the canaries in the coal mine, so when they die off in unusually high numbers, that's an indicator of the river's health.

2. the cat that ate / swallowed / got the canary. cat ( def 28 ).

More idioms and phrases containing canary

see look like the cat that ate the canary .

Example Sentences

The person said the data was “deeply disconcerting” and a “canary in the coal mine” for scientists who had seen the data.

From Washington Post

For canaries, just seeing their feathered friends get sick may be enough to preemptively rev up their immune systems.

From Science News

The breakthrough cases resulting in hospitalization or death will, she says, serve as a canary in the coal mine for when vaccine protection might be waning for whatever reason.

From Time

He’s now a canary to test whether humans might safely cohabitate with the silent invaders.

From MIT Technology Review

The building is bright yellow, and nearly everything inside is some shade of goldenrod or canary or banana.

From Time

“This is not a judgment of guilt, nor is it a suspension of any other canonical penalty,” Canary wrote.

From The Daily Beast

The aforementioned stories may very well be legitimate, but let's consider them a sort of canary in the coal mine.

From The Daily Beast

As has often been the case with issues of LGBT equality, this vote is the canary in the coalmine.

From The Daily Beast

It's like she is in Fashion Jail and only allowed to wear frumpy dated Sloane florals and old lady canary yellow.

From The Daily Beast

Since retail can be the canary in the coal mine for the broader economy, there's real reason to be anxious.

From The Daily Beast

On the 7th of August we neared the Canary Isles, but unfortunately, on account of the thick fog, we could not see them.

From Project Gutenberg

Their present canary was quite the most delightful little creature they had ever possessed.

From Project Gutenberg

The Canary Islands boast of two bishoprics, both of which are now vacant, yet have not one newspaper.

From Project Gutenberg

Neither the pine-apple nor water-melon grow in Teneriffe, but abundance of the latter are brought from Grand Canary.

From Project Gutenberg

She is like a canary bird; when others begin to speak, she hurries in her remarks, in an accompaniment.

From Project Gutenberg