What does "canary" mean?
Canary: 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.
Additional senses
- 2.Wine made in the Canary Islands; sack. "A cup of canary." Shak.
- 3.A canary bird.
- 4.A pale yellow color, like that of a canary bird.
- 5.A quick and lively dance. [Obs.] Make you dance canary With sprightly fire and motion. Shak.
- 6.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.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00