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.
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░ poll.
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.
Polled a. Deprived of a poll, or of something belonging to the poll. Specifically: (a) Lopped; -- said of trees having their tops cut off. (b) Cropped; hence, bald; -- said of a person. “The polled bachelor.” --Beau. & Fl. (c) Having cast the antlers; -- said of a stag. (d) Without horns; as, polled cattle; polled sheep.
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