poll
1 Americannoun
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a sampling or collection of opinions on a subject, taken from either a selected or a random group of persons, as for the purpose of analysis.
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Usually polls. the place where votes are taken.
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the registering of votes, as at an election.
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the voting at an election.
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the number of votes cast.
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the numerical result of the voting.
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an enumeration or a list of individuals, as for purposes of taxing or voting.
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a person or individual in a number or list.
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the head, especially the part of it on which the hair grows.
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the back of the head.
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the rear portion of the head of a horse; the nape.
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the part of the head between the ears of certain animals, as the horse and cow.
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the broad end or face of a hammer.
verb (used with object)
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polls,
present (3rd person singular)
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polled,
past participle, past
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polling
present participle
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to take a sampling of the attitudes or opinions of.
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to receive at the polls as votes.
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to enroll (someone) in a list or register, as for purposes of taxing or voting.
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to take or register the votes of (persons).
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to deposit or cast at the polls as a vote.
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to bring to the polls, as voters.
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to cut short or cut off the hair, wool, etc., of (an animal); crop; clip; shear.
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to cut short or cut off (hair, wool, etc.).
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to cut off the top of (a tree); pollard.
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to cut off or cut short the horns of (cattle).
verb (used without object)
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polls,
present (3rd person singular)
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polled,
past participle, past
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polling
present participle
noun
noun
noun
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the casting, recording, or counting of votes in an election; a voting
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the result or quantity of such a voting
a heavy poll
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Also called: opinion poll.
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a canvassing of a representative sample of a large group of people on some question in order to determine the general opinion of the group
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the results or record of such a canvassing
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any counting or enumeration
a poll of the number of men with long hair
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short for poll tax
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a list or enumeration of people, esp for taxation or voting purposes
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the striking face of a hammer
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the occipital or back part of the head of an animal
verb
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to receive (a vote or quantity of votes)
he polled 10 000 votes
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to receive, take, or record the votes of
he polled the whole town
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to canvass (a person, group, area, etc) as part of a survey of opinion
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to take the vote, verdict, opinion, etc, individually of each member (of a jury, conference, etc)
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(sometimes intr) to cast (a vote) in an election
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computing (in data transmission when several terminals share communications channels) to check each channel rapidly to establish which are free, or to call for data from each terminal in turn
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to clip or shear
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to remove or cut short the horns of (cattle)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pollsimple
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pollssimple
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have polledperfect
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has polledperfect
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am pollingprogressive
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are pollingprogressive
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is pollingprogressive
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have been pollingperfect progressive
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has been pollingperfect progressive
Past
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polledsimple
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had polledperfect
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was pollingprogressive
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were pollingprogressive
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had been pollingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of poll1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pol(le) “head (of a person or animal); a person,” from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German: “hair of the head, top of a tree or other plant”; akin to Danish puld, Swedish pull “crown (of the head)”
Origin of poll2
First recorded in 1800–05; from Greek polloí (as in hoi polloí “the many”); see poly-
Explanation
A poll is an election, or a survey of people's opinions. When people go to the polls, they vote. If you poll your classmates about their favorite foods, you survey them and take note of their opinions — in other words, they each cast a vote. This is also what happens when voters go to the polls, although they're voting for political candidates and their votes are anonymous. The original fourteenth century meaning of poll was "hair on the head" or just "head." This gradually evolved into "person," and the idea of "counting heads."
Vocabulary lists containing poll
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The snap poll, called when Farage resigned last month from parliament amid scrutiny into his finances, was dismissed by some voters in the eastern constituency of Clacton as a "farce".
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The BBC has conducted a straw poll in the Essex seaside town, where people have shared their views on the election result.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The poll found that 35% of likely voters supported Proposition 41, with 37% opposing it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The same poll found 51% of registered voters in Texas preferred Talarico, as did 63% of moderates.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Actually, they generally poll a larger number than is theoretically necessary to compensate for problems associated with getting a random sample.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
"Today my record in public office will be judged by the people of Clacton, not by politicians and the media in Westminster," Farage posted on X as polls opened on Thursday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
“It’s one thing to be rising in the polls and winning local elections,” Travers added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Despite opinion polls registering a fall in Vladimir Putin's domestic approval ratings, Russia's president – Mr Muratov believes - retains a tight grip on power.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
But prediction markets differ from polls in important ways.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
For the first time in South African history, the black majority would go to the polls to elect their own leaders.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Analysts polled by the Wall Street Journal were looking for a drop of 600,000 barrels.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
Analysts polled by FactSet expected sales of $6.16 billion, with adjusted earnings of $12.61.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
The data was in line with the expectations of economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires and the Wall Street Journal.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting $16.84 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
When I polled some accomplished writers about which style manuals they had con- sulted during their apprenticeships, the most common answer I got was “none.”
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
The controversies have coincided with a drop in Reform polling support and in popularity for Farage, long a divisive figure loved and loathed in largely equal measure.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Courts have repeatedly upheld buffer-zone protections for funerals, polling sites and other places where people deserve to be left in peace; a law addressing disruptive behavior at houses of worship is on solid constitutional ground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Fifty-one polling stations have opened, covering Clacton and the surrounding towns of Jaywick, Frinton and Walton-on-the-Naze.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Prediction markets say their odds reflect the wisdom of the crowds and can be more accurate than polling.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
Before I entered the polling station, an irreverent member of the press called out, “Mr. Mandela, who are you voting for?”
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
