canary

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noun ca·nary \ kə-ˈner-ē \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of canary

plural canaries

1 :a Canary Islands usually sweet wine similar to Madeira

2 :a lively 16th century court dance

3 :a small finch (Serinus canarius synonym 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

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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 of canary from the Web

The Canaries dominated large stretches of the game, but their lack of clinical finishing and defensive errors left them open to a smash-and-grab performance from the plucky Black Cats.

— SI.com, "Norwich City Boss Daniel Farke Bemoans 'Sloppy' Mistakes in Canaries' 3-1 Loss to Sunderland," 14 Aug. 2017
They were found at additional sites along Rock Creek in subsequent decades, and act as metaphorical canaries in the coal mine.

— justin wm. moyer, Washington Post, "D.C.’s only endangered species is shy and sightless, but it’s having a moment," 4 Aug. 2017
The coal-mine canary sang loudly when there was no risk or threat.

— New York Times, "Letters to the Editor," 21 July 2017
Establishments like these are the canaries of gentrification, opening in neighborhoods where rent is cheap and foretelling the increases to come.

— greg howard, New York Times, "At the Center of Change, Cherry’s Unisex," 7 July 2017
As a measure of the democratic process, the press briefing can act as the canary in the coal mine.

— erin blakemore, Longreads, "The Press Has Always Been a Guest in the President’s Home," 1 July 2017
That’s making many wonder: Is Whittier an outlier or a bellwether, an unfortunate white elephant or the proverbial canary in the coal mine?

— greg toppo, USA TODAY, "Law schools 'hunkering down' as enrollment slips," 28 June 2017
Vulnerable communities, the ‘canaries in the coalmines’ of displacement, are disappearing from the cultural landscape.

— brendan kiley, The Seattle Times, "City announces 30 ideas to protect arts and culture spaces from high-rent displacement," 9 June 2017
Played with almost indecent relish by John Lithgow, Strutt has the smile of a cat who swallows a bushel of canaries at every meal.

— a. o. scott, New York Times, "Review: Salma Hayek Skewers a Boor in ‘Beatriz at Dinner’," 8 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'canary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.