# canvas

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkænvəs/ · frequency rank #7,532

## Definitions
1. 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.
2. A piece of such cloth stretched across a frame on which one may paint an artwork.
3. A mesh of loosely woven cotton strands or molded plastic to be decorated with needlepoint, cross-stitch, rug hooking, or other crafts.
4. A basis for creative work.
5. A region on which graphics can be rendered.
6. Sails in general.
7. A tent.
8. 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.
9. Athletic shoes.

## Etymology
From Middle English canevas, from Anglo-Norman, from Old Northern French canevas (compare Old French chanevas, chenevas) from a root derived from Latin cannabis, from Ancient Greek κάνναβις (kánnabis). Compare French canevas, resulting from a blend of the Old French and a Picard dialect word, itself from Old Northern French. Doublet of cannabis and hemp.

## Easily confused with
- **cava** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/canvas-vs-cava)
- **caves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/canvas-vs-caves)
- **Casas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/canvas-vs-casas)
- **canvass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/canvas-vs-canvass)
- **cans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cans-vs-canvas)
- **Cana** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cana-vs-canvas)
- **canal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/canal-vs-canvas)
- **canes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/canes-vs-canvas)
- **Cannes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cannes-vs-canvas)
- **calves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/calves-vs-canvas)
- **Canaan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/canaan-vs-canvas)
- **canoes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/canoes-vs-canvas)

## Common misspellings (8)
`acnvas`, `canavs`, `cannvas`, `canvsa`, `canvvas`, `cavnas`, `ccanvas`, `cnavas`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/canvas