canvas

1 of 4

noun (1)

can·​vas ˈkan-vəs 

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

In addition to the cover-up work, [Miryam] Lumpini will turn the dimpled canvas of a young man's back into a magnificent phoenix.

—Allure

The birds were moving art on a canvas of sky and water and endless prairie.

—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

canvaslike

ˈkan-vəs-ˌlīk 

adjective

canvas

2 of 4

verb (1)

canvased or canvassed; canvasing or canvassing

transitive verb

: to cover, line, or furnish with canvas

canvass

3 of 4

verb (2)

can·​vass ˈkan-vəs 

variants or less commonly canvas

canvassed; canvassing

transitive verb

1

: to go through (a district) or go to (persons) in order to solicit orders or political support or to determine opinions or sentiments

canvass voters

canvassed the neighborhood to solicit magazine subscriptions

2

a

: to examine in detail

specifically : to examine (votes) officially for authenticity

b

: discuss, debate

canvassed all the items on the agenda

3

obsolete : to toss in a canvas sheet in sport or punishment

intransitive verb

: to seek orders or votes : solicit

was canvassing for a seat in Congress

canvasser noun

or less commonly canvaser

canvass

4 of 4

noun (2)

variants or less commonly canvas

: the act or an instance of canvassing

especially : a personal solicitation of votes or survey of public opinion

a house-to-house canvass to ascertain the vote before the election

Synonyms of canvas

Noun (1)

• painting

Verb (2)

• survey
• interview

Examples of canvas in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a tent made of canvas

Use a canvas to cover the boat.

The museum has several canvases by Rubens.

Verb (2)

A team of volunteers is canvassing the city for the Republican Party.

We go to every house to canvass voters.

She is canvassing for one of the presidential candidates this year.

The group has been canvassing neighborhoods to ask people to vote for him.

The company canvassed several sites for a new factory.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the 50-plus years between the end of WWII and Spielberg's intimate drama painted on the widest of big-screen canvases, no one has captured D-Day with the same harrowing, relentless intensity. —Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026

General Daily Insight for June 13, 2026 Warmth wants a canvas, and courage answers. —Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026

Verb

Officers remained on scene to canvas the campus for the weapon, the LAPD said. —Austin Turner, CBS News, 10 June 2026

Meanwhile, opponents have vowed to canvas across the state to encourage voters to defeat the amendment. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026

Verb

Police were seen canvassing the area on Tuesday, talking to neighbors. —Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 16 June 2026

Police used drones to search the woods to no avail on Friday, and officers were back canvassing the area on Monday. —Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 15 June 2026

Noun

These preliminary results, known as a semifinal official canvass, are updated until each county completes its vote count. —Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026

California election results timing Once polls close, county election officials will report results, with counties conducting the semifinal official canvass of votes and reporting totals to the Secretary of State at least every two hours until the canvass is complete, according to the SOS's website. —Noe Padilla, USA Today, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1), Verb (1), Verb (2), and Noun (2)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1556, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1508, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun (2)

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing canvas

• under canvas

Rhymes for canvas

• canvass

Kids Definition

canvas

noun

can·​vas

ˈkan-vəs

1

a

: a strong cloth of hemp, flax, or cotton used for clothing and formerly much used for tents and sails

b

: a piece of cloth used as a surface for painting

also : a painting on such a surface

2

: something made of canvas

3

: a stiff material (as of coarse cloth or plastic) that has regular meshes for working with a needle (as in needlepoint)