This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
canary
[ kuh-nair-ee ]
/ kəˈnɛər i /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun, plural ca·nar·ies.
adjective
having the color canary.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of canary
1585–95; <Spanish (Isla) Canaria<Latin Canāria (insula) Dog (Island), equivalent to can(is) dog + -āria, feminine of -ārius-ary
Words nearby canary
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use canary in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for canary
canary
/ (kəˈnɛərɪ) /
noun plural -naries
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
See canary yellow
Australian history a convict
archaic a sweet wine from the Canary Islands similar to Madeira
Word Origin for canary
C16: from Old Spanish canario of or from the Canary Islands
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with canary
canary
see look like the cat that ate the canary.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.