- canary
- type of small songbird, 1650s (short for Canary-bird, 1570s), from Fr. canarie, from Sp. canario "canary bird," lit. "of the Canary Islands," from L. Insula Canaria "Canary Island," largest of the Fortunate Isles, lit. "island of dogs," (canis, gen. canarius) so called because large dogs lived there. The name was extended to the whole island group (Canariæ Insulæ) by the time of Arnobius (c.300). As a type of wine (from the Canary Islands) from 1580s.