canary in the coal mine
canary in the coal mine is the alternative form of canary in a coal mine.
Meaning of canary in a coal mine
Noun
canary in a coal mine (plural canaries in a coal mine or canaries in coal mines)
- Something whose sensitivity to adverse conditions makes it a useful early indicator of such conditions; something which warns of the coming of a greater danger or trouble by a deterioration in its health or welfare.
- "A mussel is a canary in a coal mine," Clemens explained. "When the freshwater mussels are healthy, it indicates good water quality."2003 April, “Saving the St. Joe”, in Field & Stream
- Synonyms:
- miner's canary
Forms of canary in the coal mine
| plural | canaries in the coal mine |
|---|---|
| plural | canaries in coal mines |
| plural | canaries in the coal mines |
Questions about canary in the coal mine
- What is canary in the coal mine the alternative form of?
- Canary in the coal mine is the alternative form of canary in a coal mine.
Words near canary in the coal mine in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: canary in the coal mine (page history and authors); canary in a coal mine (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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