Main Entry:

¹can·vas

Variant(s):

also can·vass \ˈkan-vəs\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English canevas, from Anglo-French canevas, chanevaz, from Vulgar Latin *cannabaceus hempen, from Latin cannabis hemp — more at cannabis

Date:

13th century

1: a firm closely woven cloth usually of linen, hemp, or cotton used for clothing and formerly much used for tents and sails2: a set of sails : sail3: a piece of canvas used for a particular purpose4: tent ; also : a group of tents5 a: a piece of cloth backed or framed as a surface for a painting ; also : the painting on such a surface b: the background, setting, or scope of a historical or fictional account or narrative6: a coarse cloth so woven as to form regular meshes for working with the needle7: the canvas-covered floor of a boxing or wrestling ring

— can·vas·like \-vəs-ˌlīk\ adjective