English

Alternative forms

• canary in a coal mine
• miner's canary

Noun

miners' canary ‎(plural miners' canaries)

1. A caged bird kept caged in mines because its demise provided a warning of dangerous levels of toxic gases.
2. (idiomatic) Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of danger.

Related terms

• climate canary