Poll

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
poll
    n 1: an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a
         random sample of people [syn: {poll}, {opinion poll},
         {public opinion poll}, {canvass}]
    2: the top of the head [syn: {pate}, {poll}, {crown}]
    3: the part of the head between the ears
    4: a tame parrot [syn: {poll}, {poll parrot}]
    5: the counting of votes (as in an election)
    v 1: get the opinions (of people) by asking specific questions
         [syn: {poll}, {canvass}, {canvas}]
    2: vote in an election at a polling station
    3: get the votes of
    4: convert into a pollard; "pollard trees" [syn: {poll},
       {pollard}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Poll \Poll\, n. [From Polly, The proper name.]
   A parrot; -- familiarly so called.
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from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Poll \Poll\, n. [Gr. ? the many, the rabble.]
   One who does not try for honors, but is content to take a
   degree merely; a passman. [Cambridge Univ., Eng.]
   [1913 Webster]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Poll \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.]
   1. The head; the back part of the head. "All flaxen was his
      poll." --Shak.
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   2. A number or aggregate of heads; a list or register of
      heads or individuals.
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            We are the greater poll, and in true fear
            They gave us our demands.             --Shak.
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            The muster file, rotten and sound, upon my life,
            amounts not to fifteen thousand poll. --Shak.
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   3. Specifically, the register of the names of electors who
      may vote in an election.
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   4. The casting or recording of the votes of registered
      electors; as, the close of the poll.
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            All soldiers quartered in place are to remove . . .
            and not to return till one day after the poll is
            ended.                                --Blackstone.
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   5. pl. The place where the votes are cast or recorded; as, to
      go to the polls.
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   6. The broad end of a hammer; the but of an ax.
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   7. (Zool.) The European chub. See {Pollard}, 3
      (a) .
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   {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.
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from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Poll \Poll\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Polled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Polling}.]
   1. 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.
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            When he [Absalom] pollled his head.   --2 Sam. xiv.
                                                  26.
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            His death did so grieve them that they polled
            themselves; they clipped off their horse and mule's
            hairs.                                --Sir T.
                                                  North.
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   2. 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.
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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.                              --Chapman.
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   3. To extort from; to plunder; to strip. [Obs.]
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            Which polls and pills the poor in piteous wise.
                                                  --Spenser.
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   4. To impose a tax upon. [Obs.]
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   5. To pay as one's personal tax.
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            The man that polled but twelve pence for his head.
                                                  --Dryden.
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   6. To enter, as polls or persons, in a list or register; to
      enroll, esp. for purposes of taxation; to enumerate one by
      one.
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            Polling the reformed churches whether they equalize
            in number those of his three kingdoms. --Milton.
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   7. 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.
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            And poll for points of faith his trusty vote.
                                                  --Tickell.
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   8. (Law) To cut or shave smooth or even; to cut in a straight
      line without indentation; as, a polled deed. See {Dee?
      poll}. --Burrill.
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      [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.
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from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Poll \Poll\, v. i.
   To vote at an election. --Beaconsfield.
   [1913 Webster]
    
from Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)
poll
 v.,n.

   1. [techspeak] The action of checking the status of an input line,
   sensor, or memory location to see if a particular external event has
   been registered.

   2. To repeatedly call or check with someone: "I keep polling him, but
   he's not answering his phone; he must be swapped out."

   3. To ask. "Lunch? I poll for a takeout order daily."
    
from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
poll
polling
sniff

   To check the status of an input line, sensor, or memory
   location to see if a particular external event has been
   registered.

   Contrast {interrupt}.

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1995-01-31)
    
from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
POLL. A head. Hence poll tax is the name of a tax imposed upon the people at 
so much a head. 2. To poll a jury is to require that each juror shall 
himself declare what is his verdict. This may be done at the instance of 
either party, at any time before the verdict is recorded. 3 Cowen, R. 23. 
See 18 John. R. 188. See Deed Poll. 
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
294 Moby Thesaurus words for "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

    

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