Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Canvas
Can′vas
,Noun.
[OE.
canvas
, canevas
, F. canevas
, LL. canabacius
hempen cloth, canvas, L. cannabis
hemp, fr. G. [GREEK]. See Hemp
.] 1.
A strong cloth made of hemp, flax, or cotton; – used for tents, sails, etc.
By glimmering lanes and walls of
canvas
led. Tennyson.
2.
(a)
A coarse cloth so woven as to form regular meshes for working with the needle, as in tapestry, or worsted work.
(b)
A piece of strong cloth of which the surface has been prepared to receive painting, commonly painting in oil.
History . . . does not bring out clearly upon the
canvas
the details which were familiar. J. H. Newman.
3.
Something for which canvas is used:
(a)
A sail, or a collection of sails. (b)
A tent, or a collection of tents. (c)
A painting, or a picture on canvas. To suit his
canvas
to the roughness of the see. Goldsmith.
Light, rich as that which glows on the
canvas
of Claude. Macaulay.
4.
A rough draft or model of a song, air, or other literary or musical composition; esp. one to show a poet the measure of the verses he is to make.
Grabb.
Can′vas
,Adj.
Made of, pertaining to, or resembling, canvas or coarse cloth;
as, a
. canvas
tentWebster 1828 Edition
Canvas
CANVAS
,Noun.
1.
A coarse cloth made of hemp, or flax, used for tents, sails of ships, painting and other purposes.2.
A clear unbleached cloth, wove regularly in little squares, used for working tapestry with the needle.3.
Among the French, the rough draught or model on which an air or piece of music is composed, and given to a poet to finish. The canvas of a song contains certain notes of the composer, to show the poet the measure of the verses he is to make.4.
Among seamen, cloth in sails, or sails in general; as, to spread as much canvas as the ship will bear.