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Contrary vs Canary - What's the difference?

contrary | canary |

As nouns the difference between contrary and canary

is that contrary is the opposite while canary is (soccer) someone connected with , as a fan, player, coach etc.

As an adjective contrary

is opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.

As an adverb contrary

is contrarily.

As a verb contrary

is (obsolete) to oppose; to frustrate.

contrary

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.
    • contrary winds
  • * Bible, Leviticus xxvi. 21
    • And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me
  • * Shakespeare
    • We have lost our labour; they are gone a contrary way.
  • Opposed; contradictory; inconsistent.
  • * Whewell
    • The doctrine of the earth's motion appeared to be contrary to the sacred Scripture.
  • Given to opposition; perverse; wayward.
    • a contrary''' disposition; a '''contrary child

    Derived terms

    * contrarian * contrarily * contrariwise * contrary to

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Contrarily

    • Noun

    (contraries)
  • The opposite.
  • * Shakespeare
    • No contraries hold more antipathy / Than I and such a knave.
  • One of a pair of propositions that cannot both be simultaneously true.
  • * I. Watts
    • If two universals differ in quality, they are contraries ; as, every vine is a tree; no vine is a tree. These can never be both true together; but they may be both false.

    Synonyms

    * witherward

    Derived terms

    * on the contrary * to the contrary

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • (obsolete) To oppose; to frustrate.
  • *Bishop Latimer
  • *:I was advised not to contrary the king.
  • *, I.47:
  • *:The Athenians having left the enemie in their owne land, for to pass into Sicilie , had very ill successe, and were much contraried by fortune.
  • (obsolete) To impugn.
  • (obsolete) To contradict (someone or something).
  • *:
  • *:thus wilfully sir Palomydes dyd bataille with yow / & as for hym sir I was not gretely aferd but I dred fore la?celot that knew yow not / Madame said Palomydes ye maye saye what so ye wyll / I maye not contrary yow but by my knyghthode I knewe not sir Tristram
  • *, II.12:
  • *:I finde them everie one in his turne to have reason, although they contrary one another.
  • (obsolete) To do the opposite of (someone'' or ''something ).
  • (obsolete) To act inconsistently or perversely; to act in opposition to .
  • (obsolete) To argue; to debate; to uphold an opposite opinion.
  • (obsolete) To be self-contradictory; to become reversed.

    • Related terms

    * contra * counter

    References

    * * * *

    canary

    English

    (wikipedia canary)

    Noun

    (canaries)
  • A small, usually yellow, finch (genus Serinus ), a songbird native to the Canary Islands.
  • Any of various small birds of different countries, most of which are largely yellow in colour.
  • A light, slightly greenish, yellow colour.
  • A light, sweet, white wine from the Canary Islands.
  • * 1599 , , III. ii. 80:
    • I will to my honest knight / Falstaff, and drink canary with him.
  • A lively dance, possibly of Spanish origin (also called canaries ).
  • * 1598 , , II. i. 74:
    • and make you dance canary / With sprightly fire and motion;
  • Any test subject, especially an inadvertent or unwilling one. (From the mining practice of using canaries to detect dangerous gases.)
  • (informal) A female singer, soprano, a coloratura singer.
  • (slang) An informer or snitch; a squealer.
  • (slang) A (usually yellow) capsule of the short-acting barbiturate pentobarbital/pentobarbitone (Nembutal).
  • (Australia, informal) A yellow sticker of unroadworthiness.
  • * {{quote-newsgroup
    • , title=Warning About Speed Traps , group=alt.folklore.urban , author=Jacco Zwetsloot , date=September 12 , year=1993 , passage=The tendency in these types of situations (as far as I can see) is that because I don't think the act itself is illegal, the police will go through your vehicle systematically loking for anything wrong with it, to slap a canary on it (that's slang for an unroadworthy sticker) or present you with some other fine. citation
  • * {{quote-newsgroup
    • , title=Noisy Bikes (Update) , group=aus.motorcycles , author=Garry Lawson , date=January 16 , year=1999 , passage=Yes, if the exhaust is to noisey(sic) they can slap a yellow canary on it, but the[n] who cares you got rid of it. citation
  • * {{quote-newsgroup
    • , title=Spare tyres , group=aus.cars , author=Noddy , date=February 14 , year=2003 , passage=You don't have to carry a spare wheel for a car to be roadworthy, and if you *do* carry one, it doesn't have to be in a roadworthy condition *unless* you fit it [to] the car and drive on it.
    If it's not and you get pinched, expect a canary ... citation

    Hyponyms

    *

    Derived terms

    * canary in a coal mine * warrant canary

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of a light yellow colour.

    • Verb

    (en-verb)
  • to dance nimbly (as in the canary dance)
  • * 1590 , , III. i. 11:
    • but to jig off a tune at / the tongue's end, canary to it with your feet,
  • (slang) to inform or snitch, to betray secrets, especially about illegal activities.

    • Derived terms

    * bush canary * canary creeper * canary grass * canary in a coal mine * canary yellow

    Related terms

    * serin * yellowhead

    See also

    *