First Known Use: 1584
Dictionary
canary
noun ca·nary \kə-ˈner-ē\
: a small usually yellow or green tropical bird that is often kept in a cage
plural ca·nar·ies
Full Definition of CANARY
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
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Origin of CANARY
Middle French canarie, from Old Spanish canario, from Islas Canarias Canary Islands
Related to CANARY
- Synonyms
- betrayer, informer [slang], deep throat, fink, informant, nark [British], rat, rat fink, snitch, snitcher, squealer, stoolie, stool pigeon, talebearer, tattler, tattletale, telltale, whistle-blower
Rhymes with CANARY
baneberry, barberry, bayberry, bearberry, bilberry, blackberry, black cherry, blaeberry, blueberry, Bradbury, bunchberry, Burberry, chokeberry, chokecherry, cloudberry, contrary, costmary, cowberry, cranberry, crowberry, deerberry, equerry, gooseberry, ground-cherry, hackberry, Hail Mary, inkberry, Juneberry, knobkerrie, library, mulberry, nondairy, pokeberry, primary, raspberry, rosemary, scalare, shadberry, snowberry, soapberry, strawberry, summary, sweet cherry, teaberry, tilbury, tooth fairy, twinberry, unwary, vagary, wheat berry, wolfberry, youngberry
CANARY Defined for Kids
canary
noun ca·nary \kə-ˈner-ē\
plural ca·nar·ies
Definition of CANARY for Kids
: a small usually yellow songbird often kept in a cage
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