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

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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

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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 The noun canvas comes from the Latin cannabis by way of the Greek kannabis, meaning “hemp," which it was originally made of.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

“Originally celebrated for its connection to former owner Richard Simmons and the private sanctuary he created, the property is now being reintroduced as a compelling canvas for transformation,” Rosten explains.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

Dubois, 29, makes the first defence of his WBO world title after climbing off the canvas twice to stop Wardley in the 11th round of their thrilling encounter in Manchester in May.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

The frame of "Young Woman at the Well" was slightly damaged, while "the canvas of 'Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano' had a tear," Bessone said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Directed by Bob Saget and Neil Berkeley, this Netflix documentary offers an affectionate look at the performer, who died in 2024 and who pursued his true passion on canvas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

He leaves a smudge of snot on the canvas.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Their settings and subjects further reveal that categorizing Church narrowly as a member of the Hudson River movement overlooks the fact that his canvases reflect a far broader swath of the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

She is best known for her monochromatic abstract paintings evoking fishing nets, and for canvases and large spaces covered with polka dots, evoking hallucinations she had as a child.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

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

She had run out of canvases and had begun painting on plywood, so she picked up a piece of wood, got out her palette, squeezed some paints onto it, and selected a brush.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

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Related Words

• art
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