poll
UK[pəʊl]US[poʊl]
n
The process of voting in an election, or the number of votes recorded.
n
A survey of public opinion by questioning a representative sample of people.
v
To receive a specified number of votes in an election.
v
To question people as part of a survey of public opinion.
Etymology
The modern word 'poll' originates from the Middle English 'pol' or 'polle', meaning 'head' or 'hair of the head'. This sense is preserved in terms like 'poll tax', a tax per head. The connection to voting stems from the 17th-century practice of counting people ('heads') or, in elections, of counting voters by head. By the early 18th century, 'poll' had extended to mean the counting of votes or the place where votes are cast. The later sense of a survey of opinion is a further semantic extension from this idea of counting or recording people's choices.
Analysis
The word 'poll' is a simplex word of Middle English origin, referring to the head or a person. Its functional role is as a complete lexical unit.
Examples
The final poll will close at 10 PM tonight.
According to the latest opinion poll, the incumbent holds a narrow lead.
The independent candidate is expected to poll well in urban areas.