A canary is a small songbird, often yellow, that is kept as a pet for its singing. Historically, canaries were also used in coal mines to warn miners of dangerous gases.
Named after the Canary Islands, from Spanish 'Islas Canarias,' possibly from Latin 'Canariae Insulae' meaning 'Islands of Dogs' due to large dogs found there. The birds were native to those islands and took their English name from them. The color term 'canary yellow' comes from the bird.
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