canary

noun

ca·​nary kə-ˈner-ē How to pronounce canary (audio)
plural canaries
1
: a Canary Islands usually sweet wine similar to Madeira
2
: a lively 16th century court dance
3
: a small finch (Serinus canaria synonym S. canarius) of the Canary Islands that is usually greenish to yellow and is kept as a cage bird and singer
4

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Just like canaries, neurodivergent and disabled employees feel productivity constraints in the workplace more intensely than other employees. Ludmila Praslova, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 These are the canaries in the coal mine for both parties, highly competitive races in states that report their votes early and quickly. Andrew Solender, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024 Speaking of comeuppance, Hal was right to flag Dennison’s co-conspirator backing out of the party, as that guy seems to have been the canary in the coalmine. Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024 There is something especially disconcerting seeing Vladimir Putin smiling like the cat who ate the canary at this week’s BRICs Summit. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for canary 

Word History

Etymology

Middle French canarie, from Old Spanish canario, from Islas Canarias Canary Islands

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of canary was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near canary

Cite this Entry

“Canary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canary. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

canary

noun
ca·​nary kə-ˈne(ə)r-ē How to pronounce canary (audio)
plural canaries
: a small usually yellow or greenish finch native to the Canary Islands that is often kept in a cage

More from Merriam-Webster on canary

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