Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Poll?

\Poll\, n. [From Polly, The proper name.] A parrot; -- familiarly so called.
\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.]
\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. 2. A number or aggregate of heads; a list or register of heads or individuals. We are the greater poll, and in true fear They gave us our demands. --Shak. The muster file, rotten and sound, upon my life, amounts not to fifteen thousand poll. --Shak. 3. Specifically, the register of the names of electors who may vote in an election. 4. The casting or recording of the votes of registered electors; as, the close of the poll. All soldiers quartered in place are to remove . . . and not to return till one day after the poll is ended. --Blackstone. 5. pl. The place where the votes are cast or recorded; as, to go to the polls. 6. The broad end of a hammer; the but of an ax. 7. (Zo["o]l.) The European chub. See {Pollard}, 3 (a) . {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. [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. When he [Absalom] pollled his head. --2 Sam. xiv. 26. His death did so grieve them that they polled themselves; they clipped off their horse and mule's hairs. --Sir T. North. 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. 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. 3. To extort from; to plunder; to strip. [Obs.] Which polls and pills the poor in piteous wise. --Spenser. 4. To impose a tax upon. [Obs.] 5. To pay as one's personal tax. The man that polled but twelve pence for his head. --Dryden. 6. To enter, as polls or persons, in a list or register; to enroll, esp. for purposes of taxation; to enumerate one by one. Polling the reformed churches whether they equalize in number those of his three kingdoms. --Milton. 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. And poll for points of faith his trusty vote. --Tickell. 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. {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.