Meaning of canary in a coal mine | Babel Free

Definitions

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.

idiomatic

Equivalents

Examples

“"A mussel is a canary in a coal mine," Clemens explained. "When the freshwater mussels are healthy, it indicates good water quality."”

“On the job, she was like a canary in a coal mine: If the subtle energy wasn't in balance, she was the first to notice.”

“Thanks to rampant real estate development that revitalized the city starting in the '90s, Dublin has been something of a canary in a coal mine with regard to the global financial meltdown — the credit crunch hit here early and hard.”

CEFR level