- any of several Old World finches of the genus Serinus, especially S. canaria(common canary ), native to the Canary Islands and often kept as a pet, in the wild being greenish with brown streaks above and yellow below and in domesticated varieties usually bright yellow or pale yellow.
- a light, clear yellow color: They sell a shimmer eyeshadow in canary that would look nice with your coloring.
- informer (def. 1).
- a female singer, especially with a dance band.
- a sweet white wine of the Canary Islands, resembling sherry.
- a yellow diamond.
- having a light, clear yellow color: That canary sweater would pair well with your golden skirt.
- someone or something that serves as an early warning sign of danger or trouble to come: These fish are the canaries in the coal mine, so when they die off in unusually high numbers, that's an indicator of the river's health.
- cat (def. 28).
- a small finch, Serinus canaria, of the Canary Islands and Azores: a popular cagebird noted for its singing. Wild canaries are streaked yellow and brown, but most domestic breeds are pure yellow
- See canary yellow
- a convict
- a sweet wine from the Canary Islands similar to Madeira
