canvass

[kan-vuhs]

verb (used with object)

to solicit votes, subscriptions, opinions, or the like from.
to examine carefully; investigate by inquiry; discuss; debate.

verb (used without object)

to solicit votes, opinions, or the like.

noun

a soliciting of votes, orders, or the like.
a campaign for election to government office.
close inspection; scrutiny.

Origin of canvass

1500–10; orig. spelling variant of canvas, as a v.; sense “discuss” apparently development of the earlier senses “toss in a canvas sheet,” “harshly criticize”; sense “solicit votes” obscurely derived

Related formscan·vass·er, nounpre·can·vass, verb (used with object), nounun·can·vassed, adjectiveun·der·can·vass, verbwell-can·vassed, adjective

Can be confusedcanvas canvass

Synonyms for canvass

2. analyze, scrutinize, explore.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for canvassed

scrutinize, inspect, agitate, solicit, consult, ventilate, run, campaign, scan, study, investigate, debate, examine, survey, argue, review, sift, apply, analyze, check

Examples from the Web for canvassed

Contemporary Examples of canvassed

Images have been provided to Interpol, and ports, airports and train stations have all been canvassed with images of the girl.
Mystery Dublin Girl May Have Been Victim Of Sex Trafficking
Tom Sykes
November 5, 2013
You canvassed a lot of great filmmakers in Seduced and Abandoned, including Roman Polanski.
Alec Baldwin Uncensored: On His HBO Doc, Bloomberg, Polanski, and The New York Times
Marlow Stern
October 22, 2013
It was the view of far too many of those we canvassed that excluding him would be, as one professor put it, “very silly indeed.”
15 Most Important Economic Journalists
Tunku Varadarajan
October 3, 2010
Delezen canvassed for Obama in 2008 and went to his inauguration.
How It Played in the Gulf
Rick Outzen
June 16, 2010

Historical Examples of canvassed

Enid Glenwilliam canvassed them all at least as freely as her neighbors.
The Coryston Family
Mrs. Humphry Ward
"I canvassed the entire House personally that other time," he said.
Mark Twain, A Biography, 1835-1910, Complete
Albert Bigelow Paine
It also contends that "the transactions of the Board ought not to be canvassed in the newspapers."
Great Astronomers
R. S. Ball
She had canvassed fifty-four counties and sold 20,000 tracts.
Susan B. Anthony
Alma Lutz
The motives of the lawgivers were canvassed without reserve.
The History of Tasmania, Volume I (of 2)
John West

British Dictionary definitions for canvassed

canvass

verb

to solicit votes, orders, advertising, etc, from
to determine the feelings and opinions of (voters before an election, etc), esp by conducting a survey
to investigate (something) thoroughly, esp by discussion or debate
mainly US to inspect (votes) officially to determine their validity

noun

a solicitation of opinions, votes, sales orders, etc
close inspection; scrutiny

Derived Formscanvasser, nouncanvassing, noun

Word Origin for canvass

C16: probably from obsolete sense of canvas (to toss someone in a canvas sheet, hence, to harass, criticize); the development of current senses is unexplained

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for canvassed

canvass

c.1500, from alternative spelling of canvas (n.) and probably meaning, originally, "to toss or sift in a canvas sheet," hence "to shake out, examine carefully" (1520s); "to solicit votes" (1550s). The spelling with a double -s- dates from 16c. Cf. Old French canabasser "to examine carefully," literally "to sift through canvas." Related: Canvassed; canvassing. As a noun related to this, attested from c.1600.