Link Centre Dictionary

poll

UK/pɒl/ US/pɑl/ fairly common slang uk
noun (5) verb (4)

noun

1.

an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a random sample of people

Synonyms
2.

the top of the head

Synonyms
3.

the part of the head between the ears

4.

a tame parrot

Synonyms
5.

the counting of votes (as in an election)

verb

1.

get the opinions (of people) by asking specific questions

Synonyms
2.

vote in an election at a polling station

3.

get the votes of

4.

convert into a pollard

  • “pollard trees”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English pol, polle ("scalp, pate"), from or cognate with Middle Dutch pol, pōle, polle (“top, summit; head”), from Proto-West Germanic *poll, from Proto-Germanic *pullaz (“round object, head, top”), from Proto-Indo-European *bolno-, *bōwl- (“orb, round object, bubble”), from Proto-Indo-European *bew- (“to blow, swell”). Akin to Scots pow (“head, crown, scalp, skull”), Saterland Frisian pol (“round, full, brimming”, adjective), German Low German Polle, Poll (“round object, ball”), German Low German Poller (“head, tree-top, bulb”), Danish puld (“crown of a hat”), Swedish dialectal pull (“head”). Meaning "collection of votes" is first recorded 1625, from the notion of "counting heads".

Phrases

  • deed poll
  • exit poll
  • Gallup poll
  • go to the polls
  • opinion poll
  • poll book
  • poll card
  • poll evil

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.