miners' canary

noun

A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.

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Meanings

nounminers' canary (plural miners' canaries)

plural miners' canaries · alternative canary in a coal mine · alternative miner's canary

  1. A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.
  2. idiomaticAny thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.
Cite this entry
APA

miners' canary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miners'%20canary

MLA

“miners' canary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miners'%20canary. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “miners' canary,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miners'%20canary.

Source: miners' canary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.