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
Synonyms
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 WebNicol Natale, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
The gel texture has a slip to it that creates a canvas for seamless blending, but the primer also offers complexion heavyweights like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and peptides.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 26 Apr. 2024
There seems to be a growing emphasis, among popular food accounts, on the messiness of the overflowing orifice as individual eaters shovel food down their throats; online, the mouth has become a canvas for thick spacklings of various juices, pastes, condiments and whips.
—Aaron Timms, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024
This adorable bucket bag made in France from durable cotton canvas can function as a work tote or a beach bag.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
On May 4, the Irish police stopped at Dugdale’s cottage as part of a routine canvas.
—Theresa McKinney, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2024
Delicate white fillets of cod, haddock, or halibut make an ideal canvas for her marinade of coconut milk and lemon juice infused with fresh turmeric and ginger, which lend earthy, peppery notes.
—Romy Gill, Saveur, 24 Apr. 2024
From two-foot canvases to towering masterpieces, each of her pieces is filled with the magic of the tropics and the artist’s unique interpretations.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
The cream canvas lace-up sneakers are reminiscent of Converse’s Chuck 70 silhouette except it’s adorned in gold accents on the grommets where the laces meet and on the inner corners of the sneaker.
—Essence, 22 Apr. 2024
Sara Netzley, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2024
Back in the squalid camp, Yoong stealthily canvased her coworkers and discovered about 60 were willing to risk a hasty getaway.
—TIME, 21 Mar. 2024
Four officers who happened to be canvasing the area in an unmarked car saw a man chasing another man and a woman while shooting at them several times, the NYPD added.
—Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024
City staff will canvas neighborhoods in flood-prone areas, officials said.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2024
Tuesday night, a few dozen community members met at the trail to canvas the surrounding neighborhoods of the Bel Air trail with flyers showing images from the video and containing information about the case in both English and Spanish.
—Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2023
Alarmed, the students found Bailey, a public safety officer who was making his routine rounds canvasing the campus.
—Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 28 Aug. 2023
Following the April 19, 1993 fire, after authorities had finished canvasing the scene, what little that remained of Mount Carmel was bulldozed.
—Alyssa Fiorentino, House Beautiful, 20 Apr. 2023
Milwaukee County will also canvas the totals.
—Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2022
Noun
The timeless bag is made from a high-quality canvas with leather trim that looks luxurious.
—Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
The gel texture has a slip to it that creates a canvas for seamless blending, but the primer also offers complexion heavyweights like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and peptides.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 26 Apr. 2024
There seems to be a growing emphasis, among popular food accounts, on the messiness of the overflowing orifice as individual eaters shovel food down their throats; online, the mouth has become a canvas for thick spacklings of various juices, pastes, condiments and whips.
—Aaron Timms, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024
This adorable bucket bag made in France from durable cotton canvas can function as a work tote or a beach bag.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
On May 4, the Irish police stopped at Dugdale’s cottage as part of a routine canvas.
—Theresa McKinney, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2024
Delicate white fillets of cod, haddock, or halibut make an ideal canvas for her marinade of coconut milk and lemon juice infused with fresh turmeric and ginger, which lend earthy, peppery notes.
—Romy Gill, Saveur, 24 Apr. 2024
From two-foot canvases to towering masterpieces, each of her pieces is filled with the magic of the tropics and the artist’s unique interpretations.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
The cream canvas lace-up sneakers are reminiscent of Converse’s Chuck 70 silhouette except it’s adorned in gold accents on the grommets where the laces meet and on the inner corners of the sneaker.
—Essence, 22 Apr. 2024
Verb
The team makes plans to canvas the two closest Smokehouse locations when Palmer strolls into the big orange room with coffees for him, his girlfriend, and his girlfriend’s dad.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2024
Back in the squalid camp, Yoong stealthily canvased her coworkers and discovered about 60 were willing to risk a hasty getaway.
—TIME, 21 Mar. 2024
Four officers who happened to be canvasing the area in an unmarked car saw a man chasing another man and a woman while shooting at them several times, the NYPD added.
—Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024
City staff will canvas neighborhoods in flood-prone areas, officials said.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2024
Tuesday night, a few dozen community members met at the trail to canvas the surrounding neighborhoods of the Bel Air trail with flyers showing images from the video and containing information about the case in both English and Spanish.
—Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2023
Alarmed, the students found Bailey, a public safety officer who was making his routine rounds canvasing the campus.
—Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 28 Aug. 2023
Following the April 19, 1993 fire, after authorities had finished canvasing the scene, what little that remained of Mount Carmel was bulldozed.
—Alyssa Fiorentino, House Beautiful, 20 Apr. 2023
Milwaukee County will also canvas the totals.
—Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'canvas.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Canvas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canvas. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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