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.

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