canvas

canvas
noun (plural canvases or canvasses)
1》 a strong, coarse unbleached cloth used to make sails, tents, etc. and as a surface for oil painting.
    ↘a piece of canvas prepared for use as the surface for an oil painting.
    ↘(the canvas) the floor of a boxing or wrestling ring, having a canvas covering.
2》 either of a racing boat's tapering ends, originally covered with canvas.
verb (canvases, canvassing, canvassed; US canvases, canvasing, canvased) cover with canvas.
Phrases
under canvas
1》 in a tent or tents.
2》 with sails spread.
Word History
The word canvas came into Middle English, via Old Northern French canevas, from the Latin name for hemp, cannabis: hemp is the raw material traditionally used in making canvas, and is also the source of cannabis itself. The noun canvas (earlier spelled with a double -s) is also linked with the verb canvass, which originally meant 'toss in a canvas sheet' (a practice carried out both in fun and as a punishment); canvass then came to mean 'assault, attack' or 'criticize', and later 'scrutinize in order to reject invalid votes', from which developed the modern sense, 'solicit votes'.

English new terms dictionary. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Canvas — is an extremely heavy duty plain woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other functions where sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used as a painting surface, typically stretched, and on fashion handbags and… …   Wikipedia

  • Canvas — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Canvas es una etiqueta o elemento en HTML que permite la generación de graficos en forma dinámica por medio de programación dentro de una pagina. Inicialmente lo implementó Apple para Safari. Luego fue adoptado por… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Canvas — Can vas, n. [OE. canvas, canevas, F. canevas, LL. canabacius hempen cloth, canvas, L. cannabis hemp, fr. G. ?. See {Hemp}.] 1. A strong cloth made of hemp, flax, or cotton; used for tents, sails, etc. [1913 Webster] By glimmering lanes and walls… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • canvas — ► NOUN (pl. canvases or canvasses) 1) a strong, coarse unbleached cloth used to make sails, tents, etc. 2) a piece of canvas prepared for use as the surface for an oil painting. 3) (the canvas) the floor of a boxing or wrestling ring, having a… …   English terms dictionary

  • canvas — [kan′vəs] n. [ME & OFr canevas < It canavaccio < VL * cannapaceum, hempen cloth < L cannabis, HEMP] 1. a closely woven, coarse cloth of hemp, cotton, or linen, often unbleached, used for tents, sails, etc. 2. a sail or set of sails 3. a) …   English World dictionary

  • Canvas — Can vas, a. Made of, pertaining to, or resembling, canvas or coarse cloth; as, a canvas tent. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Canvas — (deutsch „Leinwand“, „Leinen“) bezeichnet: Canvas (Fernsehsender), ein Fernsehprogramm des Flämischen Rundfunks VRT Canvas (HTML Element), Element der Auszeichnungssprache HTML Leinwand, ein Gewebe, das in der Malerei als Farbträger dient …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • canvas — canvas, canvass 1. Canvas with one s means ‘coarse cloth’. The plural is canvases and as a verb (‘to cover or line with canvas’) it has inflected forms canvasses, canvassed, canvassing. 2. Canvass with two s s is a verb meaning ‘to solicit votes’ …   Modern English usage

  • canvas — mid 14c., from Anglo Fr. canevaz, from O.Fr. canevas, from V.L. *cannapaceus made of hemp, from L. cannabis, from Gk. kannabis hemp, a Scythian or Thracian word. Canvas back as a type of N.Amer. duck is from 1785 …   Etymology dictionary

  • canvas — [n1] coarse material awning cloth, duck, fly, sailcloth, shade, tarp, tarpaulin, tenting; concept 473 canvas [n2] painting on coarse material art, artwork, oil, picture, piece, portrait, still life, watercolor; concept 259 …   New thesaurus

  • Canvas — Canvas, Zeug, so v.w. Canevas …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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