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Webster 1913 Edition

Poll

Poll

,
Noun.
[From
Polly
, The proper name.]
A parrot; – familiarly so called.

Poll

,
Noun.
[Gr. [GREEK] 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

,
Noun.
[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.
Shakespeare
The muster file, rotten and sound, upon my life, amounts not to fifteen thousand
poll
.
Shakespeare
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.
(Zool.)
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

,
Verb.
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[GREEK] 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

,
Verb.
I.
To vote at an election.
Beaconsfield.

Webster 1828 Edition

Poll

POLL

, n.
1.
The head of a person, or the back part of the head, and in composition, applied to the head of a beast, as in poll-evil.
2.
A register of heads, that is, of persons.
3.
The entry of the names of electors who vote for civil officers. Hence,
4.
An election of civil officers, or the place of election.
Our citizens say, at the opening or close of the poll, that is, at the beginning of the register of voters and reception of votes, or the close of the same. They say also, we are going to the poll; many voters appeared at the poll.
5.
A fish called a chub or chevin. [See Pollard.]

POLL

,
Verb.
T.
To lop the tops of trees.
1.
To clip; to cut off the ends; to cut off hair or wool; to shear. The phrases, to poll the hair, and to poll the head, have been used. The latter is used in 2 Sam.14.26. To poll a deed, is a phrase still used in law language.
2.
To mow; to crop. [Not used.]
3.
To peel; to strip; to plunder.
4.
To take a list or register of persons; to enter names in a list.
5.
To enter one's name in a list or register.
6.
To insert into a number as a voter.

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