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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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Poll \Poll\, n. [From Polly, The proper name.]
   A parrot; -- familiarly so called.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Poll \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.]
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Poll \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.
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   2. A number or aggregate of heads; a list or register of
      heads or individuals.
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            We are the greater poll, and in true fear
            They gave us our demands.             --Shak.
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            The muster file, rotten and sound, upon my life,
            amounts not to fifteen thousand poll. --Shak.
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   3. Specifically, the register of the names of electors who
      may vote in an election.
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   4. The casting or recording of the votes of registered
      electors; as, the close of the poll.
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            All soldiers quartered in place are to remove . . .
            and not to return till one day after the poll is
            ended.                                --Blackstone.
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   5. pl. The place where the votes are cast or recorded; as, to
      go to the polls.
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   6. The broad end of a hammer; the but of an ax.
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   7. (Zool.) The European chub. See Pollard, 3
      (a) .
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   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.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Poll \Poll\, v. i.
   To vote at an election. --Beaconsfield.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

poll
    n 1: an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a
         random sample of people [syn: poll, opinion poll,
         public opinion poll, canvass]
    2: the top of the head [syn: pate, poll, crown]
    3: the part of the head between the ears
    4: a tame parrot [syn: poll, poll parrot]
    5: the counting of votes (as in an election)
    v 1: get the opinions (of people) by asking specific questions
         [syn: poll, canvass, canvas]
    2: vote in an election at a polling station
    3: get the votes of
    4: convert into a pollard; "pollard trees" [syn: poll,
       pollard]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):

poll
polling
sniff

   To check the status of an input line, sensor, or memory
   location to see if a particular external event has been
   registered.

   Contrast interrupt.

   [Jargon File]

   (1995-01-31)


The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):

poll
 v.,n.

    1. [techspeak] The action of checking the status of an input line, sensor,
    or memory location to see if a particular external event has been
    registered.

    2. To repeatedly call or check with someone: “I keep polling him, but he's
    not answering his phone; he must be swapped out.”

    3. To ask. “Lunch? I poll for a takeout order daily.”