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

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

From The Wall Street Journal

“There’s almost an acre of sail to break our fall. If we jump out far enough, we’ll fall against sailcloth and canvas.”

From Literature

Benches have been replaced by voluntary aid stations draped in beige canvas.

From Literature

The entire property became a canvas for Pratt’s insatiable artistic impulses, embellished everywhere with paintings and little installations.

From The Wall Street Journal

Its huge white storage tanks serve as canvases for slogans evoking Chavismo, the political ideology that governed Venezuela for the past 27 years and is named after late former leftist leader Hugo Chavez.

From Barron's

Related Words

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