canary

/kəˈnɛri/
noun
  1. A small yellow bird often kept as a pet, known for its singing.
    • My grandmother has a canary that sings every morning.
    • We bought a bright yellow canary from the pet store.
    • The canary chirped happily in its cage by the window.
  2. A bright yellow color, like that of a canary bird.
    • She wore a canary dress to the summer party.
    • He chose a canary tie to match his suit.
    • The walls were painted a cheerful canary yellow.
  3. A person who acts as a test subject or early warning system for danger (from the historical use of canaries in coal mines to detect toxic gases).
    • The company used a few stores as canaries to test the new product display.
    • The small team was the canary for the new software, reporting bugs before the full launch.
    • In the experiment, the volunteers served as canaries for the effects of the new drug.
adjective
  1. Having a bright yellow color, like a canary bird.
    • The canary flowers bloomed in the garden.
    • She painted her nails a canary shade for the holiday.
    • The canary taxi was easy to spot in traffic.
What does "canary" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean