canary

[kuh-nair-ee]

noun

plural

canaries 

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.

4. Slang.,  a female singer, especially with a dance band.

5. a sweet white wine of the Canary Islands, resembling sherry.

6. Also called canary diamond. 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

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. the cat that ate / swallowed / got the canary. cat.

2. 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.

see look like the cat that ate the canary.

Example Sentences

In many ways, the U.K. is the canary in the coal mine for trade-offs that most industrialized nations will face in coming years, Wishart said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

If the film is intended to be a canary in a coal mine, that bird has long since expired.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Comedy is the canary in the coal mine for free speech.

Read more on Salon

Bitcoin remains one of the market’s favorite risk on barometers, and its recent weakness may be the canary in the coal mine on that front.

Read more on Barron's

“They are frequently a canary in a coal mine,” Cruz said of the elections in New Jersey and Virginia on his podcast.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• belt out 
• chant 
• croon 
• hum 
• intone 
• serenade 
• shout 
• wait 
• warble 
• whistle