canvas

Etymology 1

From Middle English canevas, from Anglo-Norman, from Old Northern French canevas (compare Old French chanevas, chenevas) from a root derived from Latin cannabis, from Ancient Greek κάνναβις (kánnabis). Compare French canevas, resulting from a blend of the Old French and a Picard dialect word, itself from Old Northern French. Doublet of cannabis and hemp.

noun

1. A type of coarse cloth, woven from hemp, useful for making sails and tents or as a surface for paintings.
   The term canvas is very widely used, as well to denote the coarse fabrics employed for kitchen use, as for strainers, and wraps for meat, as for the best quality of ordinary table and shirting linen. 1882, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, volume 4, page 556
2. (painting)
   1. A piece of canvas cloth stretched across a frame on which one may paint.
   2. A painting">painting, or a picture on canvas.
3. A mesh of loosely woven cotton strands or molded plastic to be decorated with needlepoint, cross-stitch, rug hooking, or other crafts.
4. (figurative) A basis for creative work.
   The author takes rural midwestern life as a canvas for a series of tightly woven character studies
5. (computer graphics) A region on which graphics can be rendered.
6. (nautical) Sails in general.
   The double desire of being able to overtake a weaker flying enemy, or to escape when pursued by a stronger, has induced the owners to overmast their cruisers, and to spread too much canvass; and the great number of men, many of them not seamen, who being upon deck when a ship heels suddenly are huddled down to leeward, and increase by their weight the effect of the wind. 1785 August, Benjamin Franklin, “On Improvements in Navigation”, in Jared Sparks, editor, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin,[…], volume III, London: […] [Abraham John Valpy] for Henry Colburn,[…], published 1818, →OCLC, part IV (Philosophical Subjects), page 525
7. A tent.
   He spent the night under canvas.
8. A rough draft or model of a song, air, or other literary or musical composition; especially one to show a poet the measure of the verses he is to make.
9. (Nigeria) Athletic shoes.

verb

1. (transitive) To cover (an area or object) with canvas.

Etymology 2

A variant of canvass.

verb

1. Obsolete spelling of canvass
   [T]he nature of man, created after the Image of God, I mean, his Reaſonable nature, hath ſuch an agreement and liking to all that is ſubſtantially and really good, (ſuch are all the Commands of the Natural and Chriſtian Law) that it ſtill canvaſeth on that ſide, and ſolicites the will to embrace the good, and prefer it before the pleaſurable evil; […] a. 1661 (date written), H[enry] Hammond, “Sect IV. Of the Holy Catholick Church.”, in A Practical Catechism[…], 7th edition, London: […] J. F. for R[ichard] Royston,[…], published 1662, →OCLC, book V, page 354

noun

1. Obsolete spelling of canvass