Meaning & use
canary
Last updated
A small yellow songbird often kept as a pet, historically used to detect dangerous gases in mines.
See it in a sentence
The canary sang cheerfully from its cage by the window.
Miners once carried a canary underground to warn them of toxic fumes.
A note on using this word
The phrase 'canary in a coal mine' comes from this historical practice and is now used to describe an early warning sign of danger.
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