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
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

In other words, it would be wise to think of Mizelle’s ruling as a canary in the coal mine.

From Los Angeles Times

“I feel like the patients down here are being treated like the canary in the coal mine,” Matt Dickson said.

From Los Angeles Times

In addition to the culvert damage at the state beach, 10 canary date palms were blown down this winter and 14 others were removed by a contractor at the direction of a forester, Moreno said.

From Los Angeles Times

“They’re a bit of a canary in a coal mine,” Dr. Kammy Johnson, a veterinary epidemiologist for the Agriculture Department, said at a news briefing on Thursday.

From New York Times

The Republican Party is the canary in the coal mine.

From Salon