canary
playSimple Definition of canary
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: a small usually yellow or green tropical bird that is often kept in a cage
Full Definition of canary
pluralcanaries
1 : a Canary Islands usually sweet wine similar to Madeira
2 : a lively 16th century court dance
3 : a small finch (Serinus canarius syn. S. canaria) of the Canary Islands that is usually greenish to yellow and is kept as a cage bird and singer
4 slang : informer 2
Examples of canary in a sentence
<a canary who was singing and giving up the names of some of the city's most notorious drug lords>
Origin and Etymology of canary
Middle French canarie, from Old Spanish canario, from Islas Canarias Canary Islands
First Known Use: 1584
CANARY Defined for Kids
canary
playDefinition of canary for Students
canaries
: a small usually yellow songbird often kept in a cage
Learn More about canary
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for canary Spanish Central: Translation of canary Nglish: Translation of canary for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about canary
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