CANARY

noun (plural canaries) Etymology: Middle French canarie, from Old Spanish canario, from Islas Canarias Canary Islands Date: 1584 a Canary Islands usually sweet wine similar to Madeira, a lively 16th century court dance, 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, informer 2