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poll definition

poll (pōl)

noun

  1. the head; esp., the crown, back, or hair of the head
  2. an individual person, esp. one among several
  3. a counting, listing, or register of persons, esp. of voters
  4. a voting or expression of opinion by individuals
  5. the amount of voting; number of votes recorded
  6. ☆ a place where votes are cast and recorded
  7. ☆
    1. a canvassing of a selected or random group of people to collect information, or to attempt to discover public opinion
    2. a report or record of the results of this
  8. the blunt or flat end, as of an ax

Etymology: ME pol < or akin to MDu, top of the head, head

transitive verb

  1. to cut off or cut short
  2. to cut off or trim the wool, hair, horns, or branches of; specif., to pollard (a tree)
    1. to take or register the votes of to poll a county
    2. to require each member of (a jury, committee, etc.) to declare his or her vote individually
  4. to receive (a specified number or proportion of votes)
  5. to cast (a vote)
  6. to canvass in a poll (sense )

intransitive verb

to vote in an election

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

poll Synonyms

poll

n.

  1. A census

    vote, consensus, survey, ballot; see census.

  2. A voting place; usually plural

    ballot box(es), voting machines, polling place, polling area.


poll

v.

question, register, enroll, survey; see examine 1, list 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

poll Usage Examples

Object

  • vote: In the last Swedish general election, the fascist Sweden Democrats polled 19,600 votes.

Converse of object

  • conduct: I conducted a poll among my friends, texting them to ask " Who is James Blake?

Adjective modifier

  • straw: A straw poll of New Insight staff in the office on one day showed that 100 per cent had tried it.

Modifies a noun

  • tax: A poll tax of 3d a year was also imposed from the age of twelve.

Noun used with modifier

  • opinion: We proved the opinion polls wrong by a factor of 50 % .
poll usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

poll quotes

Polling is merely an instrument for gauging public opinion.When a president or any other leader pays attention to poll results, he is, in effect, paying attention to the views of the people. Any other interpretation is nonsense.

-Gallup, George Horace

Here lies Nolly Goldsmith, for shortness called Noll, Who wrote like an angel, but talked like poor Poll.

-Garrick, David

poll quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"poll." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/poll>

APA Style

poll. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/poll

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