canary

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police
  2. noun a female singer
  3. noun a moderate yellow with a greenish tinge

Etymology

From French canarie, from Spanish canario, from the Latin Canariae insulae (“Canary Islands”) (Spanish Islas Canarias); from the largest island Insula Canaria (“Dog Island" or "Canine Island”), named for its dogs, from canārius (“canine”), from canis (“dog”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

fink, snitch, snitcher, stoolpigeon, stool pigeon, stoolie, sneak, sneaker

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