C2idiomnature
the canary in the coal mine
USUK
an early warning sign of a danger that is coming
Miners once used canaries to detect poisonous gas. Journalists often write it as one word, 'coalmine'.
In context
Rising seas in the Mekong Delta are the canary in the coal mine for climate change.
Young graduates struggling to find jobs may be the canary in the coal mine for the economy.
More idioms about nature
- a big fish in a small pondan important person, but only in a small group or place
- a bird's-eye viewa view of something from high above
- a breath of fresh airsomeone or something new and different that makes a situation more pleasant
- a dark horsea person with hidden talents, or a competitor nobody expected to do well
- a drop in the oceana very small amount compared with what is needed