canvas

American  

[kan-vuhs] / ˈkæn vəs /

noun

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

• canvaslike adjective

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; hemp, -aceous

Example Sentences

Michael LeTourneau, who runs Porterhouse Construction in Denver, said his Brunt pants are more stretchy than the stiff canvas pants he used to wear.

From The Wall Street Journal

Artists often streamline what they add to the canvas to highlight the aesthetic splendor in simplicity.

From Salon

Both fighters hit the canvas with Murtazaliev going down in the fourth and Kelly in the ninth.

From BBC

Moore replicates that stroll in different seasons, but the most memorable shows Mary marching beside a snow-blanketed lake doubling as an unspoiled canvas, wide with possibility.

From Salon

Often, Lam’s canvases are cultural melting pots whose ingredients refuse to melt.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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