Forms: 4–5 canevas, 5 kaneuas, canivas, 5–6 canwas, 5–7 canuas, 6 canvesse, canues, (cannefas), 6–7 canves, 6–8 canvase, (7 canuase, canvasse, canuasse, 8 dial. canvest, cannas, canness), 5– canvas, 7– canvass. [ME. canevas, a. ONF. canevas (Central OF. chanevas) = Pr. canabas, Sp. cañamazo, It. canavaccio:—late L. type *cannabāceus ‘hempen,’ f. cannabis hemp. (From Lat. adjs. in -āceus were made, in Romanic, adjs. and sbs. of augm. and pejorative force, e.g., L. populus, populāce-us, It. popolaccio, Eng. populace.) The word has entered into most of the European langs.
The spelling canvas, with one s, plural canvases (cf. atlases) is, it will be seen, more etymological than canvass, and now predominates; this spelling is also better used in the verb with the literal sense of ‘furnish or line with canvas,’ whence canvased, canvasing; but the old derivative verb with sense ‘to toss in a sheet, discuss, debate, solicit votes,’ is now always spelt CANVASS, and this spelling is retained in the verbal sb. in turn derived from it, as ‘the electoral canvass.’]
1. A strong or coarse unbleached cloth made of hemp or flax, used (in different forms) as the material for sails of ships, for tents, and by painters for oil-paintings, formerly also for clothing, etc.
1260 et seq. in Rogers, Agric. & Pr., II. 511.
c. 1325. Coer de L., 2645. A melle he hadde … Four sayles wer theretoo … With canevas layd wel al bout.
c. 1450. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 570. Canevasium, Canevas.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 19. A pore Cote under their uttermost Garment, made of grete Canvas.
1537. Bury Wills (1850), 133. My best couerlett lyned wyth canwas.
1608. Rowlands, Humors Look. Glasse, 6. Sattin and silke was pawned long a goe, And now in canuase, no knight can him knowe.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl. (1675), Pref. 21. The fashion, that … allows our Gallants to wear fine Laces upon Canvass and Buckram.
1871. Bryant, Odyss., V. 312. Calypso … brought him store Of canvass, which he fitly shaped to sails.
b. Under canvas: in a tent or tents.
1864. Soc. Science Rev., 137. A life under canvas in the finer seasons of the year.
1878. A. Griffiths, Eng. Army, i. 26. The residue lived all the year round under canvas, to manifest deterioration and discomfort.
2. A piece of canvas used for various purposes: as † a. A sheet, covering or screen; a filtering or bolting cloth; a blind for a carriage window, etc. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Chan. Yem. Prol. & T., 387. And on the floor y-cast a canevas [v.r. kaneuas, canvas].
1411. E. E. Wills (1882), 19. A reed bedde of worsteyd … with a canvase, a materas.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 397/2. There was a canuas that hynge ouer hys heed.
1561. Hollybush, Hom. Apoth., 27. Wett a cannefas in Endiue water … and laye it vpon the lyuer.
1582. Hester, Phiorav. Secr., III. xlii. 61. Straine it harde through a Canues.
1667. Sir R. Moray, in Phil. Trans., II. 474. All the interposed Canvasses.
1754. Richardson, Grandison (1812), I. 210. On the contrary side of the chariot (his canvass being still up on that next me).
1785. Miss Fielding, Ophelia, II. xviii. A chariot … having canvasses to let down.
b. A covering over the ends of a racing-boat to prevent water from being shipped; hence canvas-length (see 8).
1880. Newspaper. At the Farm he led by his forward canvas.
1887. St. James’s G., 28 March, 13. Not a canvas-length (about 15 ft.) separated the boats.
3. spec. As material for sails; sail-cloth; hence, sails collectively. Under canvas: with sails spread.
1609. [see CANVAS-CLIMBER in 8].
1645. Quarles, Sol. Recant., VII. 88. Pilots that are wise Proportion out their Canvase to the skies.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 347. To spread the flying Canvass for the Fleet.
1794. Rigging & Seamanship, I. 86. From No. 1 to 6 is termed double, and above No. 6 single, canvas.
1835. Sir J. Ross, N.-W. Pass., iii. 32. We were obliged to reduce our canvas.
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., 52. Canvas is made in lengths of 40 feet, called bolts…. The stoutest is called No. 1, and so on in fineness to No. 8.
1873. Black, Pr. Thule, xv. 242. The small boat was put under canvas again.
4. spec. As material on which oil-paintings are executed; hence, a piece of canvas prepared to receive a painting.
1705. Tate, Warriour’s Welc., xxxiv. Then try your Skill: a well-prim’d Canvass stretch.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), II. 273. Damp, which is such a prejudice to the pictures on canvas or wood.
1769. Junius Lett., xxx. 135. Mark in what manner the canvass is filled up.
1805. N. Nicholls, Lett., in Corr. w. Gray (1843), 43. A power … of painting a scene, by judicious detail, as if it were on canvas.
b. An oil-painting; also, paintings collectively.
1764. Goldsm., Trav., 137. The canvas glow’d beyond e’en Nature warm.
1835. Lytton, Rienzi, II. i. Receptacles for the immortal canvas of Italian … Art.
1868. Ruskin, Pol. Econ. Art, ii. 125. Cheques … freely offered, for such and such canvasses.
1882. Athenæum, No. 2866. 439. The most important serial or cyclical group by Mr. E. Burne Jones … consists of six canvases in all.
c. fig.
1768–78. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 422. Striving to imprint … upon the imagination so much … as her coarse canvass can take off.
1822. Hazlitt, Table-t., II. iii. 47. The canvas of the fancy is but of a certain extent.
1845. J. H. Newman, Ess. Developm., Introd. 7. History … does not bring out clearly upon the canvass the details.
ǁ d. [French.] (See quots. and cf. Littré.)
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., Canvas, is also used, among the French, for the model, or first words, whereon an air, or piece of music, is composed, and given to a poet to regulate and finish. The canvas of a song, is certain notes of the composer, which shew the poet the measure of the verses he is to make. Thus, Du Lot says, he has canvas for ten sonnets against the muses.
1730–6. in Bailey.
1849. in Smart.
1864. in Webster.
5. A clear unbleached cloth so woven as to present the appearance of close and regular lattice-work, used for working tapestry with the needle.
1611. Cotgr., Gaze, Cushion Canuas; the thinne Canuas that serues women for a ground vnto their Cushions, or Purse-worke, &c.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Working canvas, for botts or cushions, narrow, broad, and broadest.
† 6. Hawking. (An early use, of which the precise meaning is now obscure.) Cf. CANVAS v. 1.
1589. Nashe, Pasquill & Mar., 10. Such canuaces made, such stales set, such traynes laide by the factious, to bring their Superiours into contempt.
7. attrib. (or adj.) a. Of canvas.
1563. T. Gale, Antidot., II. 49. Straine it through a newe canues clothe.
1627. Drayton, Agincourt (R.). Barks … with their canvass wings.
1720. Gay, Poems (1745), I. 165. Thick rising tents a canvass city build.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., II. xvi. 167. Canvas moccasins had been made for every one of the party.
† b. Having the color or appearance of canvas; light grey. Cf. CANVAS-BACK 2. Obs.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, A vij b. Hawkes haue white maill, Canuasmaill, or Rede maill … Canuas maill is betwene white maill and Iron maill.
c. Pertaining to a canvas booth at a fair.
1860. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, III. 131. A fair, or as we call it, a canvas clown. Ibid., 149. Strolling actors … as long as they are acting in a booth, are called canvas actors.
8. Comb., as canvas-breadth, -cutter, -dauber, -stretcher; canvas-bag, a bag made of canvas; also Milit. (see quot. 1708); † canvas-climber, a sailor; canvas-length (see 2 b above).
1708. Kersey, *Canvas-bags or Earth-bags (in Fortif.) are Baggs fill’d with Earth, and us’d to raise [or repair] a Breastwork in haste.
1721–1800. in Bailey.
1838. Dickens, O. Twist, II. viii. 173. Guineas in a canvas bag.
1768. Ross, Helenore, 27 (Jam.). The shade beneath a *Canuess-braid outthrow.
1608. Shaks., Per., IV. i. 62. From the ladder tackle washes off a *Canuas-clymer.
1806. Wolcott (P. Pindar), Tristia, Wks. 1812, V. 267. Behold the *Canvas-dauber!
