canvas

1 of 2

noun

can·​vas ˈkan-vəs How to pronounce canvas (audio)
variants or less commonly canvass
plural canvases also canvasses
1
: a firm closely woven cloth usually of linen, hemp, or cotton used for clothing and formerly much used for tents and sails
2
a
: a piece of cloth backed or framed as a surface for a painting
an artist's canvas
also : the painting on such a surface
b
: something likened to a painter's canvas
… just up the driveway is an extraordinary piece of garden design. [Ruth] Bancroft is the artist and her canvas is a three-acre patch of land in the midst of suburbia.Harriet Chiang
In addition to the cover-up work, [Miryam] Lumpini will turn the dimpled canvas of a young man's back into a magnificent phoenix.Allure
The birds were moving art on a canvas of sky and water and endless prairie.Shannon Tompkins
c
: the background, setting, or scope of a historical or fictional account or narrative
the crowded canvas of history
3
: a piece of canvas used for a particular purpose
a hammock made of canvas
4
: tent
also : a group of tents
5
: a set of sails : sail
sailing under full canvas
6
: a stiff material (as of coarse cloth or plastic) that has regular meshes for working with a needle (as in needlepoint)
7
: the canvas-covered floor of a boxing or wrestling ring
canvaslike adjective

canvas

2 of 2

verb

canvased or canvassed; canvasing or canvassing

transitive verb

: to cover, line, or furnish with canvas

Examples of canvas in a Sentence

Noun a tent made of canvas Use a canvas to cover the boat. The museum has several canvases by Rubens.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Like modern stadiums, the Colosseum had a retractable roof In an extraordinary feat of engineering, Romans created a vast retractable canvas awning to shield spectators from the relentless Italian sun. Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 19 Nov. 2024 Avs captain Gabe Landeskog took part in the ceremony, gifting Johnson a commemorative canvas print and a trip to Napa Valley. Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 18 Nov. 2024
Verb
Indianapolis police will be investigating for several hours to determine what led to the shooting and canvas the area for witnesses. Jade Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Oct. 2024 Detectives are canvasing the area for surveillance footage. Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for canvas 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English canevas, from Anglo-French canevas, chanevaz, from Vulgar Latin *cannabaceus hempen, from Latin cannabis hemp — more at cannabis

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1556, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of canvas was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near canvas

Cite this Entry

“Canvas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canvas. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

canvas

noun
can·​vas
ˈkan-vəs
1
a
: a strong cloth of hemp, flax, or cotton used for clothing and formerly much used for tents and sails
b
: a piece of cloth used as a surface for painting
also : a painting on such a surface
2
: something made of canvas
3
: a stiff material (as of coarse cloth or plastic) that has regular meshes for working with a needle (as in needlepoint)

More from Merriam-Webster on canvas

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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