poll

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

poll, n. [From Polly, The proper name.].

 A parrot; -- familiarly so called.  [1913 Webster]

poll, n. [Gr. the many, the rabble.].

 One who does not try for honors, but is content to take a degree merely; a passman.  [1913 Webster]

poll, n. [Akin to LG. polle the head, the crest of a bird, the top of a tree, OD. pol, polle, Dan. puld the crown of a hat.].

•  The head; the back part of the head.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  A number or aggregate of heads; a list or register of heads or individuals.  [1913 Webster]

  "We are the greater poll, and in true fear
  They gave us our demands."  [1913 Webster]

  "The muster file, rotten and sound, upon my life, amounts not to fifteen thousand poll."  [1913 Webster]
•  Specifically, the register of the names of electors who may vote in an election.  [1913 Webster]
•  The casting or recording of the votes of registered electors; as, the close of the poll.  [1913 Webster]

  "All soldiers quartered in place are to remove . . . and not to return till one day after the poll is ended."  [1913 Webster]
•  The place where the votes are cast or recorded; as, to go to the polls.  [1913 Webster]
•  The broad end of a hammer; the but of an ax.  [1913 Webster]
•  The European chub. See Pollard, 3 (a).  [1913 Webster]

Poll book, a register of persons entitled to vote at an election. -- Poll evil (Far.), an inflammatory swelling or abscess on a horse's head, confined beneath the great ligament of the neck. -- Poll pick (Mining), a pole having a heavy spike on the end, forming a kind of crowbar. -- Poll tax, a tax levied by the head, or poll; a capitation tax.

poll, v. t. 

•  To remove the poll or head of; hence, to remove the top or end of; to clip; to lop; to shear; as, to poll the head; to poll a tree.  [1913 Webster]

  "When he [Absalom] pollled his head."  [1913 Webster]

  "His death did so grieve them that they polled themselves; they clipped off their horse and mule's hairs."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cut off; to remove by clipping, shearing, etc.; to mow or crop; -- sometimes with off; as, to poll the hair; to poll wool; to poll grass.  [1913 Webster]

  "Who, as he polled off his dart's head, so sure he had decreed
  That all the counsels of their war he would poll off like it."  [1913 Webster]
•  To extort from; to plunder; to strip.  [1913 Webster]

  "Which polls and pills the poor in piteous wise."  [1913 Webster]
•  To impose a tax upon.  [1913 Webster]
•  To pay as one's personal tax.  [1913 Webster]

  "The man that polled but twelve pence for his head."  [1913 Webster]
•  To enter, as polls or persons, in a list or register; to enroll, esp. for purposes of taxation; to enumerate one by one.  [1913 Webster]

  "Polling the reformed churches whether they equalize in number those of his three kingdoms."  [1913 Webster]
•  To register or deposit, as a vote; to elicit or call forth, as votes or voters; as, he polled a hundred votes more than his opponent.  [1913 Webster]

  "And poll for points of faith his trusty vote."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cut or shave smooth or even; to cut in a straight line without indentation; as, a polled deed. See Dee.  Burrill.  [1913 Webster]

To poll a jury, to call upon each member of the jury to answer individually as to his concurrence in a verdict which has been rendered.

poll, v. i. 

 To vote at an election.  Beaconsfield.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

poll, n. & v.
--n.
1 a the process of voting at an election. b the counting of votes at an election. c the result of voting. d the number of votes recorded (a heavy poll).
2 = GALLUP POLL, opinion poll.
3 a a human head. b the part of this on which hair grows (flaxen poll).
4 a hornless animal, esp. one of a breed of hornless cattle.
--v.
1 tr. a take the vote or votes of. b (in passive) have one's vote taken. c (of a candidate) receive (so many votes). d give (a vote).
2 tr. record the opinion of (a person or group) in an opinion poll.
3 intr. give one's vote.
4 tr. cut off the top of (a tree or plant), esp. make a pollard of.
5 tr. (esp. as polled adj.) cut the horns off (cattle).
6 tr. Computing check the status of (a computer system) at intervals.

Idiom

poll tax
1 hist. a tax levied on every adult.
2 = community charge.

Derivative

pollee n. (in sense 2 of n.). pollster n.

poll, n. a tame parrot (Pretty poll!).

Idiom

poll parrot a user of conventional or clich{eacute}d phrases and arguments.

Etymology

Poll, a conventional name for a parrot, alt. f. Moll, a familiar form of Mary

THESAURUS

poll

Australian ballot, Hare system, VAT, abbreviate, abridge, abstract, ad valorem duty, agenda, alcohol tax, amusement tax, ask, assessment on default, aye, ballot, ballot box, balloting place, beadroll, bean, belfry, bob, boil down, book, brow, cadastre, calendar, call off, call over, call the roll, canvass, canvassing, capital gains tax, capitation, capitation tax, capsulize, carve, cast a ballot, casting vote, catalog, census, census report, chalk, chalk up, check in, checklist, checkroll, chronicle, chump, clip, compress, condense, conduct a poll, conk, consumer research, consumer-preference survey, contract, corporation tax, count, counting heads, crop, crown, cumulative voting, curtail, customs, customs duty, cut, cut back, cut down, cut off short, cut short, death duty, death tax, deciding vote, divide, division, dock, docket, dome, doomage, dramatis personae, duty, election returns, elide, enfranchisement, engrave, enroll, enscroll, enter, enumerate, epitomize, estate duty, estate tax, excess profits tax, excise, excise tax, export tax, fagot vote, federal tax, figures, file, fill out, foliate, foreshorten, franchise, gabelle, get, gift tax, grave, graveyard vote, hand vote, head, head count, head tax, headpiece, honor roll, impanel, import tax, incise, income tax, index, inheritance tax, inquiry, inscribe, insert, internal revenue tax, interview, jot down, jury list, jury panel, land tax, landslide, lineup, liquor tax, list, list system, local tax, log, luxury tax, make a memorandum, make a note, make a survey, make an entry, make out, mark down, matriculate, measure, minute, mow, muster, muster roll, nay, nip, no, noddle, noggin, nontransferable vote, noodle, nose count, note, note down, nuisance tax, number, numerate, official count, opinion poll, order of business, page, paginate, pate, personal property tax, place upon record, plebiscite, plebiscitum, plump, plumper, plural vote, poll tax, pollard, pollbook, polling, polling booth, polling place, polling station, polls, post, post up, preferential voting, program, property roll, property tax, property-increment tax, proportional representation, protective tariff, provincial tax, proxy, prune, public-opinion poll, put down, put in writing, put on paper, put on tape, quantify, quantize, question, questionary, questionnaire, rates, reap, recap, recapitulate, receive, record, record vote, recount, reduce, reduce to writing, referendum, register, representation, retrench, returns, revenue tariff, ridge, right to vote, rising vote, roll, roll call, roster, rota, run over, sales tax, salt tax, sample, say, school tax, sconce, scroll, secret ballot, set down, severance tax, shave, shear, shorten, show of hands, single vote, snap vote, snub, specific duty, state tax, straw vote, stunt, suffrage, sum up, summarize, survey, synopsize, tabulate, take down, take in, tally, tape, tape-record, tariff, tariff duty, tax roll, telephone tax, telescope, tell, tidal wave, transferable vote, trim, truncate, use tax, value added tax, videotape, viva voce, voice, voice vote, vote, voting, voting booth, voting machine, voting right, win, window tax, write, write down, write in, write out, write up, write-in, write-in vote, yea, yeas and nays, yes

ROGET THESAURUS

poll

Loquacity

N loquacity, loquaciousness, talkativeness, garrulity, multiloquence, much speaking, jaw, gabble, jabber, chatter, prate, prattle, cackle, clack, twaddle, twattle, rattle, caquet, caquetterie, blabber, bavardage, bibble-babble, gibble-gabble, small talk, fluency, flippancy, volubility, flowing, tongue, flow of words, flux de bouche, flux de mots, copia verborum, cacoethes loquendi, furor loquendi, verbosity, gift of the gab, talker, chatterer, chatterbox, babbler, rattle, ranter, sermonizer, proser, driveler, blatherskite, gossip, magpie, jay, parrot, poll, Babel, moulin a paroles, loquacious, talkative, garrulous, linguacious, multiloquous, largiloquent, chattering, chatty, declamatory, open-mouthed, fluent, voluble, glib, flippant, long tongued, long winded, trippingly on the tongue, glibly, off the reel, the tongue running fast, the tongue running loose, the tongue running on wheels, all talk and no cider, foul whisperings are abroad, what a spendthrift is he of his tongue!.

Choice

VB offers one's choice, set before, hold out the alternative, present the alternative, offer the alternative, put to the vote, use option, use discretion, exercise option, exercise discretion, one's option, adopt, take up, embrace, espouse, choose, elect, opt for, take one's choice, make one's choice, make choice of, fix upon, vote, poll, hold up one's hand, divide, settle, decide, list, make up one's mind, select, pick and choose, pick out, single out, cull, glean, winnow, sift the chaff from the wheat, separate the chaff from the wheat, winnow the chaff from the wheat, pick up, pitch upon, pick one's way, indulge one's fancy, set apart, mark out for, mark, prefer, have rather, have as lief, fancy, be persuaded, take a decided step, take a decisive step, commit oneself to a course, pass the Rubicon, cross the Rubicon, cast in one's lot with, take for better or for worse.

Numeration

N numeration, numbering, pagination, tale, recension, enumeration, summation, reckoning, computation, supputation, calculation, calculus, algorithm, algorism, rhabdology, dactylonomy, measurement, statistics, arithmetic, analysis, algebra, geometry, analytical geometry, fluxions, differential calculus, integral calculus, infinitesimal calculus, calculus of differences, dead reckoning, muster, poll, census, capitation, roll call, recapitulation, account, notation, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, rule of three, practice, equations, extraction of roots, reduction, involution, evolution, estimation, approximation, interpolation, differentiation, integration, abacus, logometer, slide rule, slipstick, tallies, Napier's bones, calculating machine, difference engine, suan- pan, adding machine, cash register, electronic calculator, calculator, computer, arithmetician, calculator, abacist, algebraist, mathematician, statistician, geometer, programmer, accountant, auditor, numeral, numerical, arithmetical, analytic, algebraic, statistical, numerable, computable, calculable, commensurable, commensurate, incommensurable, incommensurate, innumerable, unfathomable, infinite, quantitatively, arithmetically, measurably, in numbers.

VB number, count, tally, tell, call over, run over, take an account of, enumerate, muster, poll, recite, recapitulate, sum, sum up, cast up, tell off, score, cipher, compute, calculate, suppute, add, subtract, multiply, divide, extract roots, algebraize, check, prove, demonstrate, balance, audit, overhaul, take stock, affix numbers to, page, amount to, add up to, come to.

Politics

N politics, political science, candidacy, campaign, campaigning, electioneering, partisanship, ideology, factionalism, election, poll, ballot, vote, referendum, recall, initiative, voice, suffrage, plumper, cumulative vote, plebiscitum, plebiscite, vox populi, electioneering, voting, elective franchise, straight ticket, opinion poll, popularity poll, issue, opinion, stand, position, program, platform, party line, democracy, republicanism, communism, statism, state socialism, socialism, conservatism, toryism, liberalism, whigism, theocracy, constitutional monarchy, party, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Socialist Party, Communist Party, Federalist Party, Bull Moose Party, Abolitionist Party, Christian Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, National Socialist Worker's Party, Nazi Party, Liberal Party, Labor Party, Conservative Party, ticket, slate, politician activist, candidate, aspirant, hopeful, office-seeker, front- runner, dark horse, long shot, shoo-in, supporter, backer, political worker, campaign worker, lobbyist, contributor, party hack, ward heeler, regional candidate, favorite son, running mate, stalking horse, perpetual candidate, political animal, political contribution, campaign contribution, political action committee, PAC, political district, electoral division, electoral district, bailiwick, electorate, constituents, get-out-the-vote campaign, political education, negative campaigning, dirty politics, smear campaign, also-ran, loser, has-been, office holder, official, occupant of a position, public servant, incumbent, winner, political, partisan, Money is the mother's milk of politics.

Experiment

N experiment, essay, analysis, screen, trial, tentative method, t=atonnement, verification, probation, experimentum crucis, proof, (demonstration), criterion, diagnostic, test, probe, crucial test, acid test, litmus test, crucible, reagent, check, touchstone, pix, assay, ordeal, ring, litmus paper, curcuma paper, turmeric paper, test tube, analytical instruments, empiricism, rule of thumb, feeler, trial balloon, pilot balloon, messenger balloon, pilot engine, scout, straw to show the wind, speculation, random shot, leap in the dark, analyzer, analyst, assayist, adventurer, experimenter, experimentist, experimentalist, scientist, engineer, technician, subject, experimentee, guinea pig, experimental animal, protocol, experimental method, blind experiment, double-blind experiment, controlled experiment, poll, survey, opinion poll, epidemiological survey, retrospective analysis, retrospective survey, prospective survey, prospective analysis, statistical analysis, literature search, library research, tryout, audition, discovery, measurement, evidence, deduction, induction, abduction, experimental, empirical, probative, probatory, probationary, provisional, analytic, docimastic, tentative, unverified, unproven, speculative, untested, on trial, under examination, on probation, under probation, on one's trial, on approval, check it out, give it a try, see how it goes, Run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.