■ noun ( plural ~es or ~ses )
1》 a strong, coarse unbleached cloth used to make sails, tents, etc. and as a surface for oil painting.
↘a piece of ~ prepared for use as the surface for an oil painting.
↘( the ~ ) the floor of a boxing or wrestling ring, having a ~ covering.
2》 either of a racing boat's tapering ends, originally covered with ~.
■ verb ( ~es , ~sing , ~sed ; US ~es , ~ing , ~ed ) cover with ~.
Phrases
under ~
1》 in a tent or tents.
2》 with sails spread.
Word History
The word ~ 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 ~, and is also the source of cannabis itself. The noun ~ (earlier spelled with a double -s ) is also linked with the verb ~s , which originally meant 'toss in a ~ sheet' (a practice carried out both in fun and as a punishment); ~s 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'.