What does canary mean?
A canary is a small finch, usually bright yellow, native to the Canary Islands off northwest Africa and long bred in captivity as a cheerful cage bird valued especially for its song. Beyond its literal meaning, the word carries a powerful figurative weight: because caged canaries were historically carried into coal mines to detect carbon monoxide, 'a canary in the coal mine' has become a standard metaphor for any early warning sign of danger, used constantly in environmental, economic, and political reporting. In informal American speech, a 'canary' can also mean a female popular or jazz singer with a light voice, and the phrase 'to sing like a canary' describes someone who confesses readily under pressure. The adjective 'canary-yellow' denotes the vivid yellow shade associated with the bird. Few animal names have embedded themselves so deeply in everyday English metaphor.
A small, typically yellow finch kept as a cage bird for its melodious song.
"Her grandmother's canary greeted every sunrise with a burst of song."
Plural: canaries.
(Figurative) An early warning indicator of impending danger or trouble, alluding to the historical use of canaries in coal mines.
"The collapse of small retailers was the canary in the coal mine for the wider economic downturn."
(Informal, dated) A female singer, particularly one performing jazz or popular songs.
"The club featured a canary who could hold a note like nobody's business."
Mid-20th-century American jazz slang; now rare.
Standard plural; '-y' becomes '-ies'.
"Bird breeders across the region exhibited their finest canaries at the annual show."
Miners once carried live canaries into coal mines because the birds would stop singing — and die — before poisonous gas reached levels humans could detect.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of canary
The word comes from French 'canarie', referring to the Canary Islands, whose name derives from Latin 'Canariae insulae', the 'islands of the dogs' (Latin 'canarius', 'of dogs') — not, as many assume, named for birds at all. The bird itself was brought to Europe from the islands in the 16th century and became prized as a cage songbird. The word entered English around the late 16th century, and its figurative uses developed later: the mining-warning sense dates from the era of industrial coal mining, while the jazz-slang sense arose in early 20th-century America. Cognates include the French 'canari' and Spanish 'canario'.
Related word forms
How canary is actually used
The figurative sense 'an early indicator of danger' is very common in journalism and political commentary. The 'female singer' sense is informal and somewhat dated, associated mainly with mid-20th-century jazz slang. The phrase 'sing like a canary' means to confess or betray secrets under pressure. The idiom 'the cat's got the canary' describes a smugly satisfied expression.
Easily confused with canary
A cannery is a factory where food is canned; a canary is a songbird or a warning signal.