noun A type of coarse cloth, woven from hemp (traditionally) or from cotton and polyesters, useful for making sails, tents, and overcoats or as a surface for paintings.
noun A piece of such cloth stretched across a frame on which one may paint an artwork.
She is painting a moonlight scene on the canvas.
noun A mesh of loosely woven cotton strands or molded plastic to be decorated with needlepoint, cross-stitch, rug hooking, or other crafts.
noun A basis for creative work.
The author takes rural midwestern life as a canvas for a series of tightly woven character studies
noun A region on which graphics can be rendered.
noun Sails in general.
noun A tent.
He spent the night under canvas.
noun A rough draft or model of a song, air, or other literary or musical composition; especially one to show a poet the measure of the verses he is to make.