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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{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
Polling \Poll"ing\, n. [See {Poll} the head.]
1. The act of topping, lopping, or cropping, as trees or
hedges.
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2. Plunder, or extortion. [Obs.] --E. Hall.
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3. The act of voting, or of registering a vote.
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{Polling booth}, a temporary structure where the voting at an
election is done; a polling place.
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