Definition

1. Noun:

   • A small songbird: A small, brightly colored finch native to the Canary Islands, often kept as a pet for its melodious song.
   • A light to moderate yellow color: A bright, cheerful yellow color, named after the bird's typical plumage.
   • An informer: (Slang) A person who informs on others to the authorities; a police informant.
   • A female singer: (Archaic/Informal) A term for a female vocalist, especially in jazz or popular music contexts.

2. Adjective:

   • Having a light yellow color: Of a color resembling that of a canary bird; a bright, light yellow.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Bird):
  • She keeps a canary in a cage by the window.
  • The canary's song filled the room with music.
• Noun (Color):
  • She painted her kitchen a cheerful canary.
• Noun (Informer):
  • The gang discovered there was a canary in their midst.
• Adjective:
  • She wore a beautiful canary dress to the party.

Advanced Usage

• "Canary in a coal mine": A metaphor for an early warning of danger. Historically, miners carried canaries into mines; if the bird died, it signaled the presence of toxic gases.
  • Rising inflation is often seen as a canary in a coal mine for economic recession.

Variants and Related Words

• Canary bird: Another term for the canary finch.
• Canary yellow: A specific shade of bright yellow.
• Canary wine: (Historical) A type of sweet wine from the Canary Islands.

Synonyms

• Finch (for the bird)
• Yellow, lemon (for the color)
• Informant, snitch (for the informer)
• Vocalist, songstress (for the singer)

Related Phrases

• Sing like a canary: (Idiom) To confess or inform on someone fully and willingly.
  • Faced with the evidence, the suspect decided to sing like a canary.

Adjective

1. having the color of a canary; of a light to moderate yellow

Noun

1. any of several small Old World finches
2. a moderate yellow with a greenish tinge
3. a female singer
4. someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police