canvass

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: can=vass

CIDE DICTIONARY

canvass, v. t. [OF. Canabasser to examine curiously, to search or sift out; properly, to sift through canvas. See Canvas, n.].

•  To sift; to strain; to examine thoroughly; to scrutinize; as, to canvass the votes cast at an election; to canvass a district with reference to its probable vote.  [1913 Webster]

  "I have made careful search on all hands, and canvassed the matter with all possible diligence."  [1913 Webster]
•  To examine by discussion; to debate.  [1913 Webster]

  "An opinion that we are likely soon to canvass."  [1913 Webster]
•  To go through, with personal solicitation or public addresses; as, to canvass a district for votes; to canvass a city for subscriptions.  [1913 Webster]

canvass, v. i. 

 To search thoroughly; to engage in solicitation by traversing a district; as, to canvass for subscriptions or for votes; to canvass for a book, a publisher, or in behalf of a charity; -- commonly followed by for.  [1913 Webster]

canvass, n. 

•  Close inspection; careful review for verification; as, a canvass of votes.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]
•  Examination in the way of discussion or debate.  [1913 Webster]
•  Search; exploration; solicitation; systematic effort to obtain votes, subscribers, etc.  [1913 Webster]

  "No previous canvass was made for me."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

canvass, v. & n.
--v.
1 a intr. solicit votes. b tr. solicit votes from (electors in a constituency).
2 tr. a ascertain opinions of. b seek custom from. c discuss thoroughly.
3 tr. Brit. propose (an idea or plan etc.).
4 intr. US check the validity of votes.
--n. the process of or an instance of canvassing, esp. of electors.

Derivative

canvasser n.

Etymology

orig. = toss in a sheet, agitate, f. CANVAS

THESAURUS

canvass

Australian ballot, Hare system, address, addresses, agitate, air, all-out campaign, analyze, angle for, argue, assemblage, assembly, autopsy, aye, ballot, bid for, call-up, campaign, campaign button, campaign commitments, campaign contribution, campaign fund, canvassing, case, cast a ballot, casting vote, census, check, check out, check over, check up, check up on, collection, colligation, collocation, combination, comment upon, comparison, con, concourse, concurrence, conduct a poll, confluence, conflux, congregation, consider, consumer research, consumer-preference survey, controvert, convergence, corralling, counting heads, court, courting, cumulative voting, data-gathering, deal with, debate, deciding vote, deliberate, deliberate upon, discept, discourse about, discuss, dispute, divide, division, drum, electioneer, enfranchisement, examination, examine, exchange views, fagot vote, fish for, franchise, gathering, give an examination, go into, go over, grass-roots campaign, graveyard vote, hand vote, handle, hard-hitting campaign, hurrah campaign, ingathering, inquiry, inspect, interview, inventory, investigate, investigation, junction, juxtaposition, knock around, list system, look at, look for, look over, make a survey, media campaign, mobilization, monitor, moot, muster, nay, no, nontransferable vote, observe, opinion poll, overhaul, overlook, pass over, pass under review, peer at, peruse, plebiscite, plebiscitum, plump, plumper, plural vote, poll, polling, pop the question, pore over, postmortem, preferential voting, proportional representation, proxy, public-opinion poll, question, questionary, questionnaire, rap, reason, reason about, reason the point, record vote, referendum, representation, review, right to vote, ring doorbells, rising vote, rodeo, roundup, run over, sample, say, scan, scrutinize, secret ballot, seek, set an examination, show of hands, sift, single vote, size, size up, snap vote, solicit, solicit votes, solicitation, straw vote, study, stump, stump excursion, stump the country, stumping tour, sue, sue for, suffrage, suit, survey, take stock of, take the measure, take the stump, take up, talk, talk about, talk of, talk over, tally, thrash out, thresh out, transferable vote, treat, ventilate, vet, viva voce, voice, voice vote, vote, voting, voting right, whistle-stop, whistle-stop campaign, woo, wooing, write-in, write-in vote, yea, yeas and nays, yes

ROGET THESAURUS

canvass

Request

N request, requisition, claim, petition, suit, prayer, begging letter, round robin, motion, overture, application, canvass, address, appeal, apostrophe, imprecation, rogation, proposal, proposition, orison, incantation, mendicancy, asking, begging, postulation, solicitation, invitation, entreaty, importunity, supplication, instance, impetration, imploration, obsecration, obtestation, invocation, interpellation, requesting, precatory, suppliant, supplicant, supplicatory, postulant, obsecratory, importunate, clamorous, urgent, cap in hand, on one's knees, on one's bended knees, on one's marrowbones, prithee, do, please, pray, be so good as, be good enough, have the goodness, vouchsafe, will you, I pray thee, if you please, Int, for God's sake!, for heaven's sake!, for goodness' sake!, for mercy's sake!, Dieu vous garde, dirigenos Domine, would you be so kind as to.

VB request, ask, beg, crave, sue, pray, petition, solicit, invite, pop the question, make bold to ask, beg leave, beg a boon, apply to, call to, put to, call upon, call for, make a request, address a request, prefer a request, put up a request, make a prayer, address a prayer, prefer a prayer, put up a prayer, make a petition, address a petition, prefer a petition, put up a petition, make application, make a requisition, ask trouble, ask one for, claim, offer up prayers, whistle for, beg hard, entreat, beseech, plead, supplicate, implore, conjure, adjure, obtest, cry to, kneel to, appeal to, invoke, evoke, impetrate, imprecate, ply, press, urge, beset, importune, dun, tax, clamor for, cry aloud, cry for help, fall on one's knees, throw oneself at the feet of, come down on one's marrowbones, beg from door to door, send the hat round, go a begging, mendicate, mump, cadge, beg one's bread, dance attendance on, besiege, knock at the door, bespeak, canvass, tout, make interest, court, seek, bid for, publish the banns.

Inquiry

VB make inquiry, inquire, ask, seek, search, look for, look about for, look out for, scan, reconnoiter, explore, sound, rummage, ransack, pry, peer, look round, look over, go over, look through, go through, spy, overhaul, ask about, inquire about, scratch the head, slap the forehead, look into every hole and corner, peer into every hole and corner, pry into every hole and corner, nose, trace up, search out, hunt down, hunt out, fish out, ferret out, unearth, leave no stone unturned, seek a clue, seek a clew, hunt, track, trail, mouse, dodge, trace, follow the trail, follow the scent, pursue, beat up one's quarters, fish for, feel for, investigate, take up an inquiry, institute an inquiry, pursue an inquiry, follow up an inquiry, conduct an inquiry, carry on an inquiry, carry out an inquiry, prosecute an inquiry, look at, look into, preexamine, discuss, canvass, agitate, examine, study, consider, calculate, dip into, dive into, delve into, go deep into, make sure of, probe, sound, fathom, probe to the bottom, probe to the quick, scrutinize, analyze, anatomize, dissect, parse, resolve, sift, winnow, view in all its phases, try in all its phases, thresh out, bring in question, bring into question, subject to examination, put to the proof, audit, tax, pass in review, take into consideration, take counsel, question, demand, put the question, pop the question, propose the question, propound the question, moot the question, start the question, raise the question, stir the question, suggest the question, put forth the question, ventilate the question, grapple with the question, go into a question, question, put to the question, interrogate, pump, subject to interrogation, subject to examination, cross-question, cross-examine, press for an answer, give the third degree, put to the inquisition, dodge, catechize, require an answer, pick the brains of, suck the brains of, feel the pulse, get the lay of the land, see how the wind is blowing, put one's ear to the ground, be in question, undergo examination.

Reasoning,

VB reason, argue, discuss, debate, dispute, wrangle, argufy, bandy words, bandy arguments, chop logic, hold an argument, carry on an argument, controvert, canvass, comment upon, moralize upon, spiritualize, consider, open a discussion, open a case, try conclusions, join issue, be at issue, moot, come to the point, stir a question, agitate a question, ventilate a question, torture a question, take up a side, take up a case, contend, take one's stand upon, insist, lay stress on, infer, follow from.