canvas

Meaning

Noun

1. A type of coarse cloth, woven from hemp, useful for making sails and tents or as a surface for paintings.
2. A piece of canvas cloth stretched across a frame on which one may paint.
3. A mesh of loosely woven cotton strands or molded plastic to be decorated with needlepoint, cross-stitch, rug hooking, or other crafts.
4. (figuratively) A basis for creative work.
5. A region on which graphics can be rendered.
6. Sails in general.
7. A tent.
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

To cover (an area or object) with canvas.

Verb

Obsolete spelling of canvass.

Synonyms

canvass

sail

linen

sailcloth

cloth

tarpaulin

duck

🦆

tent

⛺

study

picture

painting

🖼️

examine

sackcloth

sheet

canvas tent

analyse

research

tarp

screen

analyze

flax

poll

sail cloth

clear

explicate

clean up

boxing ring

explore

fabric

fathom

essay

check out

peruse

enquire

case

background

disentangle

material

denim

make out

look into

decipher

linoleum

nail

oil painting

outline

cover

calico

anatomize

investigate

Translations

toile

Leinwand

lienzo

Segeltuch

canvas

tela

lona

Segel

tela

tela

doek

canevas

yelken

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkænvəs/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: canevas

Cognate with Old French: chanevas

Cognate with French: canevas

In summary

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.