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
slang
: informer sense 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Measles is the canary in the coal mine for vaccination and public health, and at this moment, the canary is singing a doleful tune.
—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2026
At Michigan and elsewhere, losing one of college basketball’s brightest minds was viewed as another canary in the increasingly toxic coal mine of college sports.
—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
30 June 2026
Restaurants As The Canary The restaurant industry is a useful canary for any business watching this dynamic.
—
Michael Lukianoff,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
The Edge and Adam Clayton both release canaries into the air in slow motion.
—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for canary
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Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2026
At Michigan and elsewhere, losing one of college basketball’s brightest minds was viewed as another canary in the increasingly toxic coal mine of college sports.
—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
30 June 2026
Restaurants As The Canary The restaurant industry is a useful canary for any business watching this dynamic.
—
Michael Lukianoff,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
The Edge and Adam Clayton both release canaries into the air in slow motion.
—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for canary
Cite this Entry
“Canary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canary. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
canary
noun
ca·nary
kə-ˈne(ə)r-ē 
plural canaries
: a small usually yellow or greenish finch native to the Canary Islands that is often kept in a cage
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