n.
Variant: also can · vass
Pronunciation: ' kan-v ə s
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 sails
2 : a set of sails : SAIL
3 : a piece of canvas used for a particular purpose
4 : TENT also : a group of tents
5 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 narrative
6 : a coarse cloth so woven as to form regular meshes for working with the needle
7 : the canvas-covered floor of a boxing or wrestling ring
– can · vas · like \ -v ə s- ˌ l ī k \ adjective