canvas

Canvas is a heavy, coarse fabric artists paint on. It's also used to make sails, shoes, tents, or comfy director's chairs. It's a full service fabric!

The noun canvas comes from the Latin cannabis by way of the Greek kannabis, meaning “hemp," which it was originally made of. It usually refers to the canvas we paint on, but you could carry a canvas bag while wearing canvas Converse high-tops. Henry David Thoreau, the poet and philosopher, said, “The world is but a canvas to our imaginations.” Don't confuse it with canvass, with the extra "s" — that's when people try to chat to get your vote.