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a closely woven, heavy cloth of cotton, hemp, or linen, used for tents, sails, etc.
a piece of this or similar material on which a painting is made.
a painting on canvas.
a tent, or tents collectively.
sailcloth.
sails collectively.
any fabric of linen, cotton, or hemp of a coarse loose weave used as a foundation for embroidery stitches, interlining, etc.
the floor of a boxing ring traditionally consisting of a canvas covering stretched over a mat.
under canvas,

Nautical. with set sails.
in tents; in the field:
the troops under canvas.

Contemporary Examples

CBS’s Morning-Show Gamble With Charlie Rose and Gayle King Howard Kurtz November 15, 2011
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show Robert W. Chambers February 19, 2014
Treasures From the Pinault Collection Bernard-Henri Lévy June 11, 2009
George W. Bush ‘Comes Out’ As Artist Lizzie Crocker February 7, 2013
Lucian Freud, the Conservative Radical Blake Gopnik July 20, 2011

Historical Examples

Lost Leaders Andrew Lang
The Moon and Sixpence W. Somerset Maugham
His Masterpiece Emile Zola
Views and Reviews William Ernest Henley
The French Impressionists (1860-1900) Camille Mauclair

noun

a heavy durable cloth made of cotton, hemp, or jute, used for sails, tents, etc
(as modifier): a canvas bag

a piece of canvas or a similar material on which a painting is done, usually in oils
a painting on this material, esp in oils

a tent or tents collectively
(nautical) any cloth of which sails are made
(nautical) the sails of a vessel collectively
any coarse loosely woven cloth on which embroidery, tapestry, etc, is done
the canvas, the floor of a boxing or wrestling ring
(rowing) the tapering covered part at either end of a racing boat, sometimes referred to as a unit of length: to win by a canvas
under canvas

in tents
(nautical) with sails unfurled

n.