variants
or less commonly canvass
plural canvases also canvasses
1
: a firm closely woven cloth usually of linen, hemp, or cotton used for clothing and formerly much used for tents and sails
2
a
: a piece of cloth backed or framed as a surface for a painting
an artist's canvas
also
: the painting on such a surface
b
: something likened to a painter's canvas
… just up the driveway is an extraordinary piece of garden design. [Ruth] Bancroft is the artist and her canvas is a three-acre patch of land in the midst of suburbia.—
Harriet Chiang
Harriet ChiangIn addition to the cover-up work, [Miryam] Lumpini will turn the dimpled canvas of a young man's back into a magnificent phoenix.—Allure
AllureThe birds were moving art on a canvas of sky and water and endless prairie.—Shannon Tompkins
Shannon Tompkins
c
: the background, setting, or scope of a historical or fictional account or narrative
the crowded canvas of history
3
: a piece of canvas used for a particular purpose
a hammock made of canvas
4
: tent
also
: a group of tents
5
: a set of sails : sail
sailing under full canvas
6
: a stiff material (as of coarse cloth or plastic) that has regular meshes for working with a needle (as in needlepoint)
7
: the canvas-covered floor of a boxing or wrestling ring
canvased or canvassed; canvasing or canvassing
: to cover, line, or furnish with canvas
Examples of canvas in a Sentence
Noun
a tent made of canvas
Use a canvas to cover the boat.
The museum has several canvases by Rubens.
Recent Examples on the Web
John Hopewell, Variety, 24 July 2025
In fact, another great thing about this canvas tote bag is how many options are out there for customizing it.
—Terri Peters, Parents, 22 July 2025
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
The special election canvased the 144 precinct chairs who attended the meeting out of 239 eligible.
—Rachel Royster
july 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for canvas
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Noun
Series made on such a large canvas require ever more these days the involvement of a streaming service – global, regional or national – to realize the potential of their scale.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 July 2025
In fact, another great thing about this canvas tote bag is how many options are out there for customizing it.
—Terri Peters, Parents, 22 July 2025
Verb
And as the Yankees canvas their options for an external addition, The Athletic's Jim Bowden has floated an interesting trade idea that would involve the New York Mets.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
The special election canvased the 144 precinct chairs who attended the meeting out of 239 eligible.
—Rachel Royster
july 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for canvas
Cite this Entry
“Canvas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canvas. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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