Adjacent Words

Canary definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CANARY, n.
1. Wine made in the Canary isles.
2. An old dance. Shakespeare has used the word as a verb in a kind of cant phrase.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: having the color of a canary; of a light to moderate yellow [syn: canary, canary-yellow] n
1: someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police [syn: fink, snitch, snitcher, stoolpigeon, stool pigeon, stoolie, sneak, sneaker, canary]
2: a female singer
3: a moderate yellow with a greenish tinge [syn: canary yellow, canary]
4: any of several small Old World finches [syn: canary, canary bird]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural canaries) Etymology: Middle French canarie, from Old Spanish canario, from Islas Canarias Canary Islands Date: 1584 1. a Canary Islands usually sweet wine similar to Madeira 2. a lively 16th century court dance 3. a small finch (Serinus canarius syn. S. canaria) of the Canary Islands that is usually greenish to yellow and is kept as a cage bird and singer 4. slang informer 2

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 any of various small finches of the genus Serinus, esp. S. canaria, a songbird native to the Canary Islands, with mainly yellow plumage. 2 hist. a sweet wine from the Canary Islands. Phrases and idioms: canary-coloured coloured canary yellow. canary creeper a climbing plant, Tropaeolium peregrinum, with flowers of bright yellow deeply toothed petals which give the appearance of a small bird in flight. canary grass a Mediterranean plant Phalaris canariensis, grown as a crop plant for bird seed. canary yellow bright yellow. Etymology: Canary Islands f. F Canarie f. Sp. & L Canaria f. canis dog, one of the islands being noted in Roman times for large dogs

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Canary Ca*na"ry, n.; pl. Canaries. 1. Wine made in the Canary Islands; sack. ``A cup of canary.'' --Shak. 2. A canary bird. 3. A pale yellow color, like that of a canary bird. 4. A quick and lively dance. [Obs.] Make you dance canary With sprightly fire and motion. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Canary Ca*na"ry, v. i. To perform the canary dance; to move nimbly; to caper. [Obs.] But to jig of a tune at the tongue's end, canary to it with your feet. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Canary Ca*na"ry, a. [F. Canarie, L. Canaria insula one of the Canary islands, said to be so called from its large dogs, fr. canis dog.] 1. Of or pertaining to the Canary Islands; as, canary wine; canary birds. 2. Of a pale yellowish color; as, Canary stone. Canary grass, a grass of the genus Phalaris (P. Canariensis), producing the seed used as food for canary birds. Canary stone (Min.), a yellow species of carnelian, named from its resemblance in color to the plumage of the canary bird. Canary wood, the beautiful wood of the trees Persea Indica and P. Canariensis, natives of Madeira and the Canary Islands. Canary vine. See Canary bird flower, under Canary bird.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(canaries) Canaries are small yellow birds which sing beautifully and are often kept as pets. N-COUNT

Moby Thesaurus

Heldentenor, Meistersinger, Philomel, alto, aria singer, aureate, auric, baritenor, baritone, bass, basso, basso buffo, basso cantante, basso profundo, beige, betrayer, blues singer, buff, buff-yellow, bulbul, canary-yellow, cantatrice, cantor, caroler, chanter, chantress, citron, citron-yellow, coloratura soprano, comic bass, contralto, countertenor, cream, creamy, crooner, cuckoo, deep bass, diva, dramatic soprano, ecru, fallow, feathered songster, flaxen, gilded, gilt, gold, gold-colored, golden, heroic tenor, hymner, improvisator, lark, lead singer, lemon, lemon-yellow, lieder singer, luteolous, lutescent, mavis, melodist, mezzo-soprano, mockingbird, nark, nightingale, ocherish, ocherous, ochery, ochreous, ochroid, ochrous, ochry, opera singer, or, oriole, prima donna, primrose, primrose-colored, primrose-yellow, psalm singer, ringdove, rock-and-roll singer, saffron, saffron-colored, saffron-yellow, sallow, sand-colored, sandy, singer, singing bird, singstress, snitch, song sparrow, songbird, songster, songstress, soprano, squealer, stool pigeon, stoolie, straw, straw-colored, tenor, thrush, tipster, torch singer, vocalist, vocalizer, voice, warbler, xanthic, xanthous, yellow, yellowish, yodeler