noun / verb
poll
POHL/pəʊl/
A survey of people's opinions or preferences.
Residents use dots in a poll about two plans for their park.
Etymology
A head came to stand for an individual, so “counting heads” became counting votes. That counting sense later extended to surveys of public opinion.
In context
a recent CNN poll found that 81% of Voters 18 to 34 disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling the war between Israel and Hamas
More examples
- The latest poll shows strong support for longer library hours.
- We poll our customers before adding new menu items.
- Of the parents polled, most prefer an earlier start time.
Forms
poll · polls · polled · polling
pollster noun — A person who conducts public opinion surveys.
Similar words
- survey
- Can gather detailed facts as well as opinions.
- questionnaire
- The set of questions used, rather than the whole survey.