Definitions for canvas
ˈkæn vəscan·vas

Princeton's WordNet(4.25 / 8 votes)Rate this definition:

1. canvas, canvassnoun

   a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)

2. canvas, canvassnoun

   an oil painting on canvas fabric

3. canvas, canvassnoun

   the setting for a narrative or fictional or dramatic account

   "the crowded canvas of history"; "the movie demanded a dramatic canvas of sound"

4. canvas tent, canvas, canvassnoun

   a tent made of canvas fabric

5. sail, canvas, canvass, sheetnoun

   a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel

6. canvas, canvassverb

   the mat that forms the floor of the ring in which boxers or professional wrestlers compete

   "the boxer picked himself up off the canvas"

7. canvass, canvasverb

   solicit votes from potential voters in an electoral campaign

8. poll, canvass, canvasverb

   get the opinions (of people) by asking specific questions

9. canvasverb

   cover with canvas

   "She canvassed the walls of her living room so as to conceal the ugly cracks"

10. analyze, analyse, study, examine, canvass, canvasverb

    consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning

    "analyze a sonnet by Shakespeare"; "analyze the evidence in a criminal trial"; "analyze your real motives"

Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. canvasnoun

   A piece of canvas cloth stretched across a frame on which one may paint.

   Etymology: * canevas, from cannabis.

2. canvasnoun

   A basis for creative work.

   The author takes rural midwestern life as a canvas for a series of tightly woven character studies.

   Etymology: * canevas, from cannabis.

3. canvasnoun

   sails in general

   Etymology: * canevas, from cannabis.

4. canvasnoun

   A tent.

   He spent the night under canvas.

   Etymology: * canevas, from cannabis.

5. canvasverb

   To cover an area or object with canvas.

   Etymology: * canevas, from cannabis.

Webster Dictionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Canvasnoun

   a strong cloth made of hemp, flax, or cotton; -- used for tents, sails, etc

   Etymology: [OE. canvas, canevas, F. canevas, LL. canabacius hempen cloth, canvas, L. cannabis hemp, fr. G. . See Hemp.]

2. Canvasnoun

   a coarse cloth so woven as to form regular meshes for working with the needle, as in tapestry, or worsted work

   Etymology: [OE. canvas, canevas, F. canevas, LL. canabacius hempen cloth, canvas, L. cannabis hemp, fr. G. . See Hemp.]

3. Canvasnoun

   a piece of strong cloth of which the surface has been prepared to receive painting, commonly painting in oil

   Etymology: [OE. canvas, canevas, F. canevas, LL. canabacius hempen cloth, canvas, L. cannabis hemp, fr. G. . See Hemp.]

4. Canvasnoun

   something for which canvas is used: (a) A sail, or a collection of sails. (b) A tent, or a collection of tents. (c) A painting, or a picture on canvas

   Etymology: [OE. canvas, canevas, F. canevas, LL. canabacius hempen cloth, canvas, L. cannabis hemp, fr. G. . See Hemp.]

5. Canvasnoun

   a rough draft or model of a song, air, or other literary or musical composition; esp. one to show a poet the measure of the verses he is to make

   Etymology: [OE. canvas, canevas, F. canevas, LL. canabacius hempen cloth, canvas, L. cannabis hemp, fr. G. . See Hemp.]

6. Canvasadjective

   made of, pertaining to, or resembling, canvas or coarse cloth; as, a canvas tent

   Etymology: [OE. canvas, canevas, F. canevas, LL. canabacius hempen cloth, canvas, L. cannabis hemp, fr. G. . See Hemp.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Canvas

   Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame. It is also used in such fashion objects as handbags, electronic device cases and shoes.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Canvas

   kan′vas, n. a coarse cloth made of hemp, used for sails, tents, &c., and for painting on: the sails of a ship.—v.t. to cover with canvas.—ns. Can′vas-back, a North American duck, very good eating, its back ashy white, crossed by broken, zigzag, dark lines; Can′vas-climb′er (Shak.), a sailor; Can′vas-stretch′er, a wooden frame on which canvas is stretched for oil-painting; Can′vas-work, embroidery upon cloth over which canvas has been laid to guide the stitches: an embroidery in Berlin wool on silk canvas with plush-stitch.—Under canvas, having the sails unfurled, under sail: living in tents. [O. Fr. canevas—L. and Gr. cannabis, hemp.]

CrunchBase(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Canvas

   Canvas subscribers will be able to use their mobile devices to collect data in a simple form or survey fashion but will do so in a manner in which takes full advantage of the unique data collection capabilities that are available on today’s modern handsets. Canvas solutions are delivered in a simple subscription service that brings Web 2.0 features and wireless technology together allowing users to define and deploy forms and surveys to mobile devices, collect data, review the results and integrate to their own systems. By providing a generic tool that can be tailored to any need, Canvas can be used by any non-software developer to allow users to go wireless, go green, go Canvas in minutes. Canvas realizes that the unique features of today’s handsets can allow new data types to be captured. These include image, video and voice capture, GPS/Location Based Data, barcode scanning and time date stamps. When combined with the common data forms or surveys that users have mobilized, a new range of analysis and insight is now possible. All of this for less than the cost of the paper it is replacing…..

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. canvas

   [from cannabis, hemp]. A cloth made of hemp, and used for the sails of ships. It is purchased in bolts, and numbered from 1 to 8, rarely to 9 and 10. Number 1 being the coarsest and strongest, is used for the lower sails, as fore-sail and main-sail in large ships. When a vessel is in motion by means of her sails she is said to be under canvas.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. canvas

   A coarse hempen or linen cloth which is extensively used in the form of tents, etc.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. canvas

   A type of fabric or material.

   Canvas has various uses, bags, shoes, tents, construction sheets etc.

   Submitted by MaryC on March 22, 2015  

Suggested Resources(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. canvas

   Song lyrics by canvas -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by canvas on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Cover
   • Fabric
   • Oil Painting
   • Piece Of Cloth
   • Setting
   • Tent

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'canvas' in Nouns Frequency: #2436

How to pronounce canvas?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say canvas in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of canvas in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of canvas in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of canvas in a Sentence

1. Vanna Bonta:

   Life is a canvas of many strokes where shades from different palettes meet into a picture so concrete that some forget it is their own, so become framed themselves.

2. Emily Crawford:

   We expect the gum wall will live on. It's a Seattle tradition and a crowd-sourced piece of public art that people really enjoy, but it's time to start with a clean canvas.

3. Dave Bayer:

   It'd be like Picasso using Sharpies on a piece of waxed paper instead of using an actual canvas and oil paints.

4. Kelly Slater:

   Everyone has, really, the same wave, the same canvas to paint on, if you will, and perform on, so it comes down to who utilizes their different skills and their different techniques in a better way.

5. Martin Nolan:

   We have softballs stitched up in canvas but we haven't definitively established yet that we have that first ball. If that ball was to exist it would be phenomenal.

Images & Illustrations of canvas

Popularity rank by frequency of use