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poll

/pɔl/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about poll at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. An inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a random sample of people.
  2. The top of the head.
  3. The part of the head between the ears.

verb

  1. Get the opinions (of people) by asking specific questions.
  2. Vote in an election at a polling station.
  3. Get the votes of.

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)