Definition of 'canvass'
Word forms: canvasses, canvassing, canvassed
1. intransitive verb
If you canvass for a particular person or political party, you go around an area trying to persuade
people to vote for that person or party.
2. transitive verb
If you canvass public opinion, you find out how people feel about a particular subject.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
canvass
Word Frequency
canvass in American English
verb transitive
2.
to go through (places) or among (people) asking for (votes, opinions, orders, etc.)
verb intransitive
3.
to try to get votes, orders, etc.; solicit
noun
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
canvasser (ˈcanvasser)
noun
Word origin
< canvas < ? use of canvas for sifting
Word Frequency
canvass in American English
(ˈkænvəs)
transitive verb
1.
to solicit votes, subscriptions, opinions, or the like from
2.
to examine carefully; investigate by inquiry; discuss; debate
intransitive verb
3.
to solicit votes, opinions, or the like
noun
4.
a soliciting of votes, orders, or the like
5.
a campaign for election to government office
6.
close inspection; scrutiny
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
canvasser noun
Word origin
[1500–10; orig. sp. var. of canvas, as a v.; sense “discuss” appar. development of the earlier senses “toss in a canvas
sheet,” “harshly criticize”; sense “solicit votes” obscurely derived]Word Frequency
canvass in British English
verb
1.
2.
3.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
canvasser (ˈcanvasser) noun
canvassing (ˈcanvassing)
noun
Word origin
C16: probably from obsolete sense of canvas (to toss someone in a canvas sheet, hence, to harass, criticize); the development
of current senses is unexplained
Examples of 'canvass' in a sentence
canvass
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In other languages
canvass
British English: canvass
/ˈkænvəs/ VERB
If you canvass for a person or political party, you try to persuade people to vote for them.
She's canvassing for the Green Party.
- American English: canvass /ˈkænvəs/
- Arabic: يُقْنِعُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: fazer campanha eleitoral
- Chinese: 游说
- Croatian: agitirati
- Czech: agitovat
- Danish: undersøge
- Dutch: werven
- European Spanish: hacer campaña
- Finnish: kalastella ääniä
- French: prospecter
- German: werben
- Greek: διεξάγω προεκλογική εκστρατεία
- Italian: sollecitare
- Japanese: 投票を頼んで回る
- Korean: 선거 운동을 하다
- Norwegian: agitere
- Polish: agitować
- European Portuguese: fazer campanha eleitoral
- Romanian: a face propagandă electorală
- Russian: агитировать (заказы, пожертвования, взносы)
- Spanish: sondear
- Swedish: värva
- Thai: ออกหาเสียง
- Turkish: oy toplamak
- Ukrainian: агітувати
- Vietnamese: vận động bầu cử
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Definition of canvass from the Collins English Dictionary
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