canary 
| Jump To: |
 Usage Examples ·
 Link/Cite |
| Also found in: |
 AH Idiom Dictionary |
ca·nary (kə ner′ē)
noun pl. canaries -·nar′·ies
- a small, yellow finch (Serinus canaria) native to the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Azores
- canary yellow
- a fortified wine similar to Madeira, made in the Canary Islands
- a lively 16th-cent. Spanish or French court dance
- Slang a squealer; informer
Etymology: Fr canarie < Sp canario < L Canaria (insula), Canary (island), lit., island of dogs < canis dog (see hound): so called from its large dogs
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Alternate definitions:
Converse of object
- have: MORE » Birds My sister had a canary called Myrtle that used to sing with its beak shut.
Adjective modifier
- pet: Sid began by opening a bank account in the name of his pet canary, Walter.
Modifies a noun
- wharf: London Canary Wharf: I am just moving to canary wharf, west ferry road.. .
Noun used with modifier
- reed: They can be planted with clumps of reed, reed canary grass or other marginal vegetation.
Possessives
- miner: One US journalist described France as, " the coal miner's canary of modern European society " .
Preposition: in
- cage: I always thought of the US as the " canary in the cage " for any potential natural gas crisis.
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
Link to this page:
Cite this page:
MLA Style
"canary." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/canary>
APA Style
canary. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/canary
Browse dictionary definitions near canary
Print this Page
Suggestion Box
Send to Friend
Follow YD on Twitter
Comments:
Please Login or Register to post a comment