canvasing

SayKAN-vuhs-ing/ˈkænvəsɪŋ/

2 meanings of canvasing

1
noununcountable
The act of approaching people in turn to solicit votes, support, opinions, or orders.
Like a bee moving flower to flower, but gathering votes or donations instead of pollen.
Door-to-door canvasing gave the campaign a clear picture of how the district was leaning.
The sales team turned to street canvasing after their online ads stopped working.
Similarcampaigning, electioneering
2
verb
Present participle of canvas.
The organizers spent the weekend canvasing neighborhoods for the upcoming vote.
She was canvasing local shops for donations when the storm hit.
Note
One spelling serves two verbs here. Formed from canvas itself, it means covering something with the cloth: canvasing a frame or a floor. Formed from canvas as an old spelling of canvass, it means going round for votes, support or orders. That spelling is now obsolete, so the soliciting verb takes a double s in current writing. The same -ing form also works as a gerund, which leads into the noun for soliciting.

canvasing is a form of canvas

canvas, verb: To spread canvas over an area or object to cover it. Full entry

Forms: canvascanvases he/she/itcanvasing -ing formcanvased past tense, past participle
Spelling: canvas → canvasing: add -ing

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