canvas

American  

[kan-vuhs] / ˈkæn vəs /

noun

• canvases
  plural

1. a closely woven, heavy cloth of cotton, hemp, or linen, used for tents, sails, etc.

2. a piece of this or similar material on which a painting is made.

3. a painting on canvas.

4. a tent, or tents collectively.

5. sailcloth.

6. sails collectively.

7. any fabric of linen, cotton, or hemp of a coarse loose weave used as a foundation for embroidery stitches, interlining, etc.

8. the floor of a boxing ring traditionally consisting of a canvas covering stretched over a mat.

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Trademark, Digital Technology.

1. Canvas, the brand name for an open-source learning management system, launched in 2011.

idioms

1. under canvas,

   1. Nautical. with set sails.

   2. in tents; in the field.

      the troops under canvas.

canvas British  

/ ˈkænvəs /

noun

1. 1. a heavy durable cloth made of cotton, hemp, or jute, used for sails, tents, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a canvas bag

2. 1. a piece of canvas or a similar material on which a painting is done, usually in oils

   2. a painting on this material, esp in oils

3. a tent or tents collectively

4. nautical any cloth of which sails are made

5. nautical the sails of a vessel collectively

6. any coarse loosely woven cloth on which embroidery, tapestry, etc, is done

7. the floor of a boxing or wrestling ring

8. rowing the tapering covered part at either end of a racing boat, sometimes referred to as a unit of length

   to win by a canvas

9. 1. in tents

   2. nautical with sails unfurled

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• canvaslike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• canvases
  plural

Etymology

Origin of canvas

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English canevas, from Anglo-French, Old North French, from unattested Vulgar Latin cannabāceus (noun use of adjective), equivalent to Latin cannab(is) + -āceus; see origin at hemp, -aceous

Explanation

Canvas is a heavy, coarse fabric artists paint on. It's also used to make sails, shoes, tents, or comfy director's chairs. It's a full-service fabric! The noun canvas comes from the Latin cannabis by way of the Greek kannabis, meaning “hemp," which it was originally made of. It usually refers to the canvas we paint on, but you could carry a canvas bag while wearing canvas Converse high-tops. Henry David Thoreau, the poet and philosopher, said, “The world is but a canvas to our imaginations.” Don't confuse it with canvass, with the extra "s" — that's when people try to chat to get your vote.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

canvas canvases

Instead of leather, Krakoff is using faux suede, denim, fleece, canvas and other less expensive materials that help keep costs down and align better with Gap’s casual vibe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

“If I say ‘Here’s a blank canvas, write me such and such,’ would that just be a melange of millions of other scripts?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

It said a lot of work would need to be carried out on the land despite being a "blank canvas", but new goats are expected to begin living there by spring 2027.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

We need to bring back the ugly canvas bag.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Duane also didn’t know that the contraption standing beside the man was an easel, and the square of white sitting upon it was an empty canvas.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Although his canvases typically sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, when he completed a large mural for the Palestinian Museum, his requested fee was only a fig tree to be planted in the garden.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Breakfast burritos in L.A. are canvases for individual creative expression, innovations that graft global cuisines or basic energy bombs to fuel the day.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Displayed in Parker’s waiting room and meant to advertise his skills, these canvases surprisingly bear their sitters’ names, giving specificity to the often-anonymous figures of Export painting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

Early in 2024, taggers began turning its skyscrapers into canvases for graffiti.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

“I hope that the canvases of the last few days will compensate us for the expenses of travel,” he writes to Theo.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Related Words

• art
• artwork
• picture
• piece
• portrait
• watercolor