canvas

English Online Dictionary. What means canvas‎? What does canvas mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkænvəs/
• (Nigeria) IPA^(key): /ˈkænvæs/
• Homophone: canvass
• Hyphenation: can‧vas

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

canvas (plural canvases or canvasses) (see usage notes)

1. A type of coarse cloth, woven from hemp, useful for making sails and tents or as a surface for paintings.
2. (painting)
   1. A piece of canvas cloth stretched across a frame on which one may paint.
   2. A 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. (figuratively) A basis for creative work.

5. (computer graphics) A region on which graphics can be rendered.
6. (nautical) 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.

Usage notes

• The plural canvases is used in the US, while the plural canvasses is sometimes incorrectly used in the UK and some UK-influenced areas. All major British dictionaries (Oxford, Cambridge, Collins and Chambers) agree that ‘canvases’ is the correct form.

Alternative forms

• canvass (obsolete)

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

canvas (third-person singular simple present canvases, present participle canvasing, simple past and past participle canvased)

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

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

A variant of canvass.

Verb

canvas (third-person singular simple present canvases, present participle canvasing, simple past and past participle canvased)

1. Obsolete spelling of canvass. [16th–18th c.]

Noun

canvas (plural canvases)

1. Obsolete spelling of canvass. [17th–18th c.]

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch canevas, from Old Northern French canevas, from Latin cannabis, from Ancient Greek κάνναβις (kánnabis). The spelling was lated influenced by English canvas.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑn.vɑs/
• Hyphenation: can‧vas

Noun

canvas n (plural canvassen)

1. canvas, sail

   Synonym: zeildoek

2. canvas, fabric used for painting

   Synonym: schilderdoek

Related terms

• cannabis

Descendants

• → Indonesian: kampas, kanvas

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from English canvas. Doublet of cânhamo, cânave, cânabis, and canábis.

Pronunciation

Noun

canvas m (invariable)

1. (graphical user interface) canvas (area on which graphics are rendered)
2. (business) business model canvas

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkambas/ [ˈkãm.bas]
• Rhymes: -ambas
• Syllabification: can‧vas

Noun

canvas m

1. canvas