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Glite Dictionary
canary seed

canary seed

5.3
A mix of seeds fed to small pet birds like canaries and finches
  • noun
  • /kəˈnɛri sid/
translation icon : semilla de canario
  • A proper diet for caged canaries should always include fresh canary seed.

Examples

  • We bought a bag of canary seed at the pet shop for our finches.

  • I bought some canary seed for my pet bird.

  • Some birds prefer sunflower seeds over canary seed in their feeders.

  • The canary seeds are rich in nutrients.

  • Bird owners often choose canary seed as the primary food for their pet birds.

  • To keep their canaries healthy, many people mix canary seed with other seeds.

  • The store sells various types of bird food, including canary seed for small birds.

Synonyms

birdseed
vscanary seed
7 1.3

A mix of seeds given to birds to eat

is aimed at small caged pet birds rather than birds in general
bird food
vscanary seed
1 1.0

Food made or mixed for birds, often seeds and grains

is meant for small indoor pet birds rather than broadly prepared mixes
bird feed
vscanary seed
1.4

Food for birds, usually a mix of seeds and grains

is intended for small indoor cage birds rather than outdoor feeding

Surface Forms

canary seed singular
canary seeds plural

Morphology

canary + seed

The meaning is directly compositional: 'canary' modifies 'seed', so it denotes seed intended for canaries or seed derived from canary grass. This straightforward noun‑noun construction is common cross‑linguistically and a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Canary seed comes from a simple, literal idea: it was the seed grown and sold to feed pet canaries (small songbirds), so the name labels the bird food. So today canary seed means 'a mixture of seeds used as food for caged birds'.