canvasser

American  

[kan-vuhs-er] / ˈkæn vəs ər /

noun

1. a person who solicits votes, subscriptions, donations, opinions, or the like, especially by phone or door-to-door.

   Besides raising funds, canvassers also leave important information for residents regarding heart health.

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Etymology

Origin of canvasser

First recorded in 1595–1605, for an earlier sense; 1790–1800, for the current sense; canvass ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

One canvasser, Timothy Nikonorov, explained that he had been an active volunteer with Mamdani’s campaign before becoming a frequent canvasser for Park, and an occasional canvassing lead.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

She’s paired up with a first-time canvasser, Michael, a twentysomething from Queens who declined to give his last name.

From Slate • Oct. 27, 2025

The Salvadoran immigrant said he previously worked as a canvasser for the City Council campaigns of De León and Herb Wesson, and volunteered on others.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2024

Then, standing on the stoop of his parents’ home in Hamtramck, a Detroit suburb, he talked in the early afternoon with a canvasser from the Detroit chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

From New York Times • Feb. 27, 2024

He’s a book canvasser, or a collector for some confounded charity.

From The Vicar's People by Fenn, George Manville