poll

plural polls · alternative pol · alternative pole

1. A survey of people, usually statistically analyzed to gauge wider public opinion.

   Synonyms: survey

2. A formal vote held in order to ascertain the most popular choice.

   The student council had a poll to see what people want served in the cafeteria.

   2 more examples

   All soldiers quartered in place are to remove […] and not to return till one day after the poll is ended.

   1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC

   The other returns having come in, the result of the poll, that Sir James Graham had been superseded by Major Aglionby, was declared at Carlisle soon after 11 a.m.

   1942 May-June, Charles E. Lee, “The Brampton Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 140, relating to an election in 1837

   Synonyms: vote, election

3. A polling place (usually as plural, polling places).

   The polls close at 8 p.m.

4. The result of the voting, the total number of votes recorded.
5. now rare outside veterinary medicine contextsThe head, particularly the scalp or pate upon which hair (normally) grows.

   […]the doctor, as if to hear better, had taken off his powdered wig, and sat there, looking very strange indeed with his own close-cropped black poll.

   1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC

   2 more examples

   And you might perceive the president and general manager, Mr. R. G. Atterbury, with his priceless polished poll, busy in the main office room dictating letters..

   1908, O. Henry, A Tempered Wind

   The main plate is formed in two halves, the upper plate having small sideplates, ear guards, an escutcheon plate (blank), and a brass plume-holder, as well as a hinged poll plate.

   2005, Stuart W. Pyhrr; Donald J. LaRocca; Dirk H. Breiding; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.), The Armored Horse in Europe, 1480-1620, Metropolitan Museum of Art, →ISBN, page 53

   Synonyms: scalp

6. A mass of people, a mob or muster, considered as a head count.

   We are the greater poll, and in true fear They gave us our demands.

   c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]

   1 more example

   The muster file, rotten and sound, upon my life, amounts not to fifteen thousand poll.

   c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]

7. The broad or butt end of an axe or a hammer.
8. The pollard or European chub, a kind of fish.

present singular third person polls · participle present polling · participle past polled · past polled · alternative pol · alternative pole

1. transitiveTo take, record the votes of (an electorate).
2. transitiveTo solicit mock votes from (a person or group).
3. intransitiveTo vote at an election.

   Mr. Millbank's friends were not disheartened, as it was known that the leading members of Mr. Rigby's Committee had polled; whereas his opponent's were principally reserved.

   1844, B[enjamin] Disraeli, chapter IV, in Coningsby; or, The New Generation. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, book V, page 271

4. To register or deposit, as a vote; to elicit or call forth, as votes or voters.

   He polled a hundred votes more than his opponent.

   1 more example

   poll for points of faith his trusty vote

   1717, Thomas Tickell, An Epistle from a Lady in England to a Gentleman at Avignon

5. To cut off; to remove by clipping, shearing, etc.; to mow or crop.

   to poll the hair; to poll wool; to poll grass

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   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.

   [1611?], Homer, “(please specify |book=I to XXIV)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new edition, volume (please specify the book number), London: Charles Knight and Co., […], 1843, →OCLC

6. transitiveTo cut the hair of (a creature).

   1579-1603, Thomas North, Plutarch's Lives His death did so grieve them that they polled themselves; they clipped off their horse and mule's hairs.

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   when he [Absalom] polled his head

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Bible Samuel/#14 2 Samuel:14–26

7. transitiveTo remove the horns of (an animal).
8. To remove the top or end of; to clip; to lop.

   to poll a tree

9. transitivecommunicationTo (repeatedly) request the status of something (such as a computer or printer on a network).

   The network hub polled the department’s computers to determine which ones could still respond.

10. intransitiveTo be judged in a poll.

    The election was a resounding defeat for Robert McCartney who polled badly in the six constituencies he contested and even lost his own Assembly seat in North Down.

    2008, Joanne McEvoy, The politics of Northern Ireland, page 171

11. obsoleteTo extort from; to plunder; to strip. Especially in conjunction with pill for emphasis.

    Which pols and pils the poore in piteous wize

    1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 6

    1 more example

    they slew Julius Caesar, who neither pilled nor polled the country but only was a favorer and suborner of all them that did rob and spoil, by his countenance and authority.

    1579, Thomas North, Plutarch's Parallel Lives, Life of Brutus, paragraph 35

12. To impose a tax upon.
13. To pay as one's personal tax.

    the man that polled but twelve pence for his head

    1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Third Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC

14. To enter, as polls or persons, in a list or register; to enroll, especially for purposes of taxation; to enumerate one by one.

    polling the reformed churches whether they equalize in number those of his three kingdoms

    1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC

15. lawTo cut or shave smooth or even; to cut in a straight line without indentation.

    a polled deed

alternative pol · alternative pole

1. Bred without horns, and thus hornless.

   Poll Hereford

   4 more examples

   Red Poll cows

   Sheep, that is, the Horned sort, and those without Horns, called Poll Sheep [...]

   1757, The monthly review, or, literary journal, volume 17, page 416

   About 15000 cattle, comprising 10000 Hereford and Poll Hereford, 4000 Aberdeen Angus and 1000 Shorthorn and Poll Shorthorn, are grazed [...]

   1960, Frank O'Loghlen, Frank H. Johnston, Cattle country: an illustrated survey of the Australian beef cattle industry, a complete directory of the studs, page 85

   Otherwise, both horned and poll sheep continue to be bred from an inner stud.

   1970, The Pastoral review, volume 80, page 457

plural polls

1. A pet parrot.

plural polls

1. UKdatedCambridge UniversityOne who does not try for honors at university, but is content to take a degree merely; a passman.

1. A diminutive of the female given name Mary.

   "A gentleman, please Sir," said the blushing Mary, (or Poll as some unrespective and light-minded persons have misnamed her), and the gentleman entered.

   1833 The Pilgrim Brothers [signed Timotheus Scribewell], Romances of Chivalric Ages, H. Cope, page iv

2. A common pet name for a parrot.

plural Polls

1. UKobsoleteslangA disreputable woman.

1. A surname transferred from the given name.