poll

[ pohl ]

/ poʊl /

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See synonyms for: poll / polling / polls on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

Usually polls. the place where votes are taken.

the registering of votes, as at an election.

the voting at an election.

the number of votes cast.

the numerical result of the voting.

an enumeration or a list of individuals, as for purposes of taxing or voting.

poll tax.

a person or individual in a number or list.

the head, especially the part of it on which the hair grows.

the back of the head.

the rear portion of the head of a horse; the nape.

the part of the head between the ears of certain animals, as the horse and cow.

the broad end or face of a hammer.

verb (used with object)

to take a sampling of the attitudes or opinions of.

to receive at the polls as votes.

to enroll (someone) in a list or register, as for purposes of taxing or voting.

to take or register the votes of (persons).

to deposit or cast at the polls as a vote.

to bring to the polls, as voters.

to cut short or cut off the hair, wool, etc., of (an animal); crop; clip; shear.

to cut short or cut off (hair, wool, etc.).

to cut off the top of (a tree); pollard.

to cut off or cut short the horns of (cattle).

verb (used without object)

to vote at the polls; give one's vote.

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Question 1 of 6

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Origin of poll

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)”

OTHER WORDS FROM poll

poll·a·ble, adjectivepoller, nounre·poll·ing, noun

Words nearby poll

polje, Polk, polka, polka dot, Polk, James K., poll, pollack, Pollaiuolo, pollakiuria, pollan, pollard

Other definitions for poll (2 of 3)

poll²

[ pol ]

/ pɒl /

noun

(formerly, especially at Cambridge University, England)

the body of students who read for or obtain a degree without honors.
Also called poll degree . pass degree.

Origin of poll

First recorded in 1800–05; from Greek polloí (as in hoi polloí “the many”); see poly-

Other definitions for poll (3 of 3)

poll³

[ pol ]

/ pɒl /

noun

polly.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use poll in a sentence

They also discuss whether polls in the Midwest have corrected their biases and whether scandals still matter.
Why Some Latino Voters Are Backing Trump|Galen Druke|September 15, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
While poll worker shortages were already an issue, a dearth of poll workers is a much bigger concern in 2020.
Facebook launches poll worker recruitment push in the News Feed|Taylor Hatmaker|September 11, 2020|TechCrunch
When you do so, you should also plan to update your driver’s license or whatever identification your state requires you to show at the polls.
It’s time to check your voter registration—here’s how|John Kennedy|September 10, 2020|Popular-Science
We use polls posted by RealClearPolitics, HuffPollster, Polling Report and FiveThirtyEight in our analysis.
The Forecast: The Methodology Behind Our 2020 Election Model|Daniel Malloy|September 10, 2020|Ozy

This poll’s modeled error estimate is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Fortune battleground poll: Biden leads on social unrest, Trump on economy|Lance Lambert|September 9, 2020|Fortune
But so-called jungle primaries are notoriously hard to predict or poll.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Most of it is taken up by a graphic inviting the visitor to participate in the 2016 online presidential straw poll.
Today’s GOP: Still Cool With Racist Pandering?|Michael Tomasky|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Pew poll also found most African Americans expect relations between police and minorities will actually get worse.
Dr. Howard Fuller's Injustice Education|Campbell Brown|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And this is a poll, remember, not of Latinos, or of Cuban-Americans across the country.
Rubio’s Embargo Anger Plays to the Past|Michael Tomasky|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This past May, NBC News and The Wall Street Journal conducted a joint poll on body art.
Masters of Alt Sex: SuicideGirls Hits Puberty and Wants to Invade Your TV Set|Marlow Stern|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor wear long hair: but they shall only poll their heads.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Since many of the Readjuster party members consisted of Negroes, the poll tax was repealed also.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
In 1876, a law was passed which required the payment of a poll tax before voting in the state of Virginia.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
Furthermore, a constitutional requirement demanded payment of three years' poll taxes six months before general elections.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
One of the first effects of this amendment in Virginia was a legislative enactment requiring all women to pay the poll tax.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey

British Dictionary definitions for poll

poll

/ (pəʊl) /

noun

the casting, recording, or counting of votes in an election; a voting

the result or quantity of such a votinga heavy poll

Also called: opinion poll

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
the results or record of such a canvassing

any counting or enumerationa poll of the number of men with long hair

short for poll tax

a list or enumeration of people, esp for taxation or voting purposes

the striking face of a hammer

the occipital or back part of the head of an animal

verb (mainly tr)

to receive (a vote or quantity of votes)he polled 10 000 votes

to receive, take, or record the votes ofhe polled the whole town

to canvass (a person, group, area, etc) as part of a survey of opinion

mainly US to take the vote, verdict, opinion, etc, individually of each member (of a jury, conference, etc)

(sometimes intr) to cast (a vote) in an election

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

to clip or shear

to remove or cut short the horns of (cattle)

Word Origin for poll

C13 (in the sense: a human head) and C17 (in the modern sense: a counting of heads, votes): from Middle Low German polle hair of the head, head, top of a tree; compare Swedish pull crown of the head

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

poll

Origin of poll

OTHER WORDS FROM poll

Words nearby poll

Other definitions for poll (2 of 3)

Origin of poll

Other definitions for poll (3 of 3)

Words related to poll

How to use poll in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for poll

Word Origin for poll