[See CANARY sb.]
1. An insessorial singing bird, a kind of finch (Fringilla or Carduelis canaria, family Fringillidæ), originally brought from the Canary Islands, now a very common domestic songster. The wild bird, still found in Madeira, is green, but the domesticated breed is mostly of a characteristic yellow color. (Also canary-finch and simply canary.)
1576. Gascoigne, Compl. Philomene, 33. Canara byrds come in to beare the bell, And Goldfinches do hope to get the gole.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Verdon, a canarie bird, Auis viridis ex insula Canaria.
1685. Lond. Gaz., No. 2077/4. These are to give notice that there is lately come over from Canary, 700 Canary Birds.
1706. Phillips, Canary-bird, an admirable Singing-bird of a green Colour, formerly bred in the Canaries, and no where else.
1802. Bingley, Anim. Biog. (1813), II. 174. The Canary-bird must be considered as the musician of the chamber.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., I. xiv. 214. She [Eva] would perch like a canary-bird on some box or package near Tom.
2. Thieves’ slang. (See quots.)
1673. R. Head, Cant. Acad., 157. Newgate is a Cage of Canary-birds.
1725. New Cant. Dict., Canary-Bird, a little arch or knavish Boy; a Rogue or Whore taken, and clapp’d into the Cage or Round-house.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, Canary bird, a jail bird, or person used to be kept in a cage, also in the canting sense, guineas.
