1. (n.) A strong cloth made of hemp, flax, or cotton; -- used for tents, sails, etc.

2. (n.) A coarse cloth so woven as to form regular meshes for working with the needle, as in tapestry, or worsted work.

3. (n.) A piece of strong cloth of which the surface has been prepared to receive painting, commonly painting in oil.

4. (n.) Something for which canvas is used: (a) A sail, or a collection of sails. (b) A tent, or a collection of tents. (c) A painting, or a picture on canvas.

5. (n.) A rough draft or model of a song, air, or other literary or musical composition; esp. one to show a poet the measure of the verses he is to make.

6. (a.) Made of, pertaining to, or resembling, canvas or coarse cloth; as, a canvas tent.

agora air brush amphitheater aquarelle arena art paper athletic field auditorium background bear garden big top boltrope bowl boxing ring brush bull ring camera lucida camera obscura campus chalk charcoal circus clew cloth cockpit coliseum colosseum course crayon cringle crowd of sail drawing paper drawing pencil drier earing easel easel-picture field finger painting fixative floor foot fore-and-aft sail forum gouache ground gym gymnasium hall head hippodrome lay figure leech lists locale luff marketplace mat maulstick medium milieu muslin oil oil painting open forum paint paintbrush painting palaestra palette palette knife parade ground pastel pencil pigments pit place plain sail platform precinct press of sail prize ring public square purlieu rag range reduced sail reef point reefed sail ring round top sail scene scene of action scenery scratchboard setting siccative site sketchbook sketchpad spatula sphere spray gun square sail squared circle stadium stage stage set stage setting stump tempera tent tentage terrain theater tilting ground tiltyard top varnish walk wash wash drawing water whitetop wrestling ring