canary
Americannoun
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canaries
plural
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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.
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Also called canary yellow. a light, clear yellow color.
They sell a shimmer eyeshadow in canary that would look nice with your coloring.
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Slang. informer.
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Slang. a female singer, especially with a dance band.
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a sweet white wine of the Canary Islands, resembling sherry.
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Also called canary diamond. a yellow diamond.
adjective
idioms
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the cat that ate / swallowed / got the canary. cat.
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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.
noun
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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
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See canary yellow
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history a convict
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archaic a sweet wine from the Canary Islands similar to Madeira
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of canary
First recorded in 1585–95; from Spanish (Isla) Canaria, from Latin Canāria (insula) “Dog (Island),” from can(is) “dog” ( see also hound) + -āria, feminine of -ārius -ary
Explanation
A canary is a small songbird, a finch known for its bright yellow feathers and beautiful singing. The word canary may also refer to a police informant, a singer, or a specific shade of yellow. The canary is named after the Canary Islands, the native lands of this cheerful bird. Wild canaries vary in color, including mixtures of brown, red, black, white, and yellow. Domesticated canaries, commonly kept as pets, are usually of the yellow variety — hence the name of the color called canary. Because canaries are known for singing, people sometimes call a female singer a canary, or they may use the term to refer to a person who helps police by "singing" or snitching on others.
Vocabulary lists containing canary
Non-Color Words to Use When Describing Color
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Yellow
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Birds, Birds, Birds, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When a default wave appears to be looming, spreads tend to shoot higher, acting as a canary in the coal mine.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
“Last time around, the gas price…was the key canary in the coal mine for higher inflation.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
They compared the monitoring approach to a canary in a coal mine because it may provide an efficient way to detect major shifts in this climate-regulating circulation.
From Science Daily ● May 10, 2026
"In a few years' time, I think we'll look back on London as the canary in the coalmine. But I hope we'll also see it as the place where the fightback began," Sir Sadiq added.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
When he saw the evil sign it sent him singing like a canary, because our chicken house is where he sleeps.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Doji candles in January and May 2018 served as canaries in the coal mine, guiding investors to anticipate a large drawdown.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
Viacom were like the canaries in the coal mine because our younger audiences were the first to really start turning towards the internet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
When it comes to signs of economic disruption, logistics companies are the canaries in the coal mine.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2025
Songbirds like canaries are in high demand in the global trafficking trade due to popular singing competitions, the charity said.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2025
Lourdes refilled the mosaic-lined fountain with sweet water and built an aviary in the garden, stocking it with toucans and cockatoos, parrots, a macaw, and canaries that sang in high octaves.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
