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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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)
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
- pollable adjective
- poller noun
- repolling noun
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 poll1
First recorded in 1800–05; from Greek polloí (as in hoi polloí “the many”); poly-
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.
How do Americans feel about ‘Medicare-for-All’? This poll has the answer.
From MarketWatch
As global officials confirm that 2025 was Earth’s third-hottest year on record, a new poll shows Americans are sharply divided over the role of science in the United States.
From Los Angeles Times
This compares with a 0.1% fall in October, and was above a consensus of economists polled by The Wall Street Journal that expected a rise of 0.1%.
Pew Research Center polling showed 63 percent of Americans still have high confidence that childhood vaccines are effective at preventing severe illness.
From Barron's
All 29 analysts polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast no change at the bank’s first rate-setting meeting of the year.
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.
