Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A heavy, coarse, closely woven fabric of cotton, hemp, or flax, traditionally used for tents and sails.
- noun A piece of such fabric on which a painting, especially an oil painting, is executed.
- noun A painting executed on such fabric.
- noun A fabric of coarse open weave, used as a foundation for needlework.
- noun The background against which events unfold, as in a historical narrative.
- noun Nautical A sail or set of sails.
- noun A tent or group of tents.
- noun A circus tent.
- noun Sports The floor of a ring in which boxing or wrestling takes place.
- idiom Nautical (under canvas) With sails spread.
- idiom (under canvas) In a tent or tents.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To provide or cover with canvas.
- To toss as in canvas; shake; take to task.
- To sift; examine; discuss: in this sense now usually spelled
canvass (which see). - noun pl. canvases, sometimes
canvasses . A closely woven, dense, heavy cloth of hemp or flax, used for any purpose for which strength and durability are required. - noun A fabric woven in small square meshes, used for working tapestry or embroidery with the needle.
- noun Nautical, cloth in sails, or sails in general: as, to spread as much canvas as the ship will bear.
- Made of canvas.
- noun In cricket, a sheet of white canvas stretched on the boundary as a background behind the bowler, to aid the batsman in seeing the ball.
- noun A painting executed on canvas.
- noun Words written to an air without reference to the sense, simply to indicate to the poet or song-writer the measure of the verses he is to supply.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A strong cloth made of hemp, flax, or cotton; -- used for tents, sails, etc.
- noun A coarse cloth so woven as to form regular meshes for working with the needle, as in tapestry, or worsted work.
- noun A piece of strong cloth of which the surface has been prepared to receive painting, commonly painting in oil.
- noun 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.
- noun 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.
- adjective Made of, pertaining to, or resembling, canvas or coarse cloth.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A type of
coarse cloth ,woven fromhemp , useful for makingsails andtents or as a surface forpaintings . - noun A piece of canvas cloth stretched across a frame on which one may paint.
- noun A basis for creative work.
- noun computer graphics A
region on whichgraphics can berendered . - noun nautical
sails in general - noun A
tent . - noun Alternative spelling of
canvass . - verb To cover an area or object with canvas.
- verb Alternative spelling of
canvass .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
- noun the mat that forms the floor of the ring in which boxers or professional wrestlers compete
- verb cover with canvas
- noun the setting for a narrative or fictional or dramatic account
- verb get the opinions (of people) by asking specific questions
- noun a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
- noun a tent made of canvas fabric
- noun an oil painting on canvas fabric
- verb solicit votes from potential voters in an electoral campaign
- noun a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Starting with paintings like this one, the canvas is the whole object, the whole universe, and there is nothing beyond it.
James Elkins: How to Look at Mondrian James Elkins 2010
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Starting with paintings like this one, the canvas is the whole object, the whole universe, and there is nothing beyond it.
James Elkins: How to Look at Mondrian James Elkins 2010
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Hemp, or _Cannabis sativa_, from which we possibly derive the modern term canvas, was known to the ancients and used by them for rope and cordage and occasionally for cloth.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 08, No. 46, August, 1861 Various
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Below, a couple of men were sewing the "bricklayer's" body in canvas preparatory to the sea burial.
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Mignola's canvas is on full display in this oversized tome.
October 2009 2009
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The wonderful thing about starting with an almost blank canvas is that every discovery is that much more meaningful and exciting.
Current Movie Reviews, Independent Movies - Film Threat 2009
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The width of this canvas is never the full girth of the human body it is to surround.
Chapter 7 2010
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There are landscapes, flowers, abstract and many other prints that can be found in canvas artwork so you really need to make sure that the theme in the picture does not clash with the theme in your room.
Wall Bed – Zoom Room 2009
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Below, a couple of men were sewing the "bricklayer's" body in canvas preparatory to the sea burial.
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My canvas is my life, and I give you the colors and brushes of me.
May 2009 2009
jmjarmstrong commented on the word canvas
JM read that police have started to canvas the area after six campers went missing.
June 15, 2011