canvasscan‧vass /ˈkænvəs/ verb 
Candidates from all three parties were out canvassing in Darlington today.canvass for Chapman spent the rest of May canvassing for votes. The US has been canvassing support from other Asian states.2[intransitive, transitive] to ask people about something in order to get their opinion or to get information: Police canvassed the neighborhood, but didn’t find any witnesses.3[transitive] to talk about a problem, suggestion etc in detail: A committee was set up to canvass the city’s educational options.—canvasser noun [countable]—canvass noun [countable]
WORD ORIGINcanvass
Origin:
1500-1600 canvass ‘to throw up in the air from a canvas sheet as a game or punishment’ (16-17 centuries), from canvasVERB TABLE
canvass
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | canvass |
| he, she, it | canvasses | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | canvassed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have canvassed |
| he, she, it | has canvassed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had canvassed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will canvass |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have canvassed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am canvassing |
| he, she, it | is canvassing | |
| you, we, they | are canvassing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was canvassing |
| you, we, they | were canvassing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been canvassing |
| he, she, it | has been canvassing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been canvassing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be canvassing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been canvassing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- I canvass for the Democrats at election times.
- I spent the whole afternoon canvassing voters.
- Party members were out canvassing as soon as the election was announced.
- Police canvassed the neighborhood but didn't find anyone who knew the man.
- The suggestion is being widely canvassed as a possible solution to the dispute.
- We canvassed over half the constituency by phone or text-message.
- In that race, the canvassing board determined that John Hoff defeated write-in candidate Lowell Stevens 265 to 259.
- In the experience of friends who canvass for the Labour party, old, white, middle-class men are the rudest.
- Lord Wilberforce examined the interests which an insurance-broking business might have in preventing an employee canvassing its clients once he had left.
- No one I canvassed had any personal complaint against the National Health Service.
- Session chairpersons were still being canvassed by Douglas during the week before he left.
- The council is canvassing local opinion before deciding next month whether to allow the concert to go ahead.
- This makes it harder to wax indignant at the ideas being canvassed in Washington.
Longman Language Activatorto ask several people questions
to ask several people, especially people that you know, in order to get information from them: · I'm not sure where you can find a babysitter - I'll ask around.ask around about: · Stephen's been asking around about the best places to go in the evenings.
also make enquiries especially British to try to get information about something by asking several people, especially people whose job is to know about it: · After making a few inquiries, we decided not to hire her.make inquiries about: · We graduate next month and most of my classmates are already making enquiries about jobs.· The bank made inquiries about her financial situation before agreeing to the loan.
to ask a lot of people a set of questions about a subject that is important to the public, especially politics, in order to find out the general opinion about it: · Nearly 60% of the voters who were polled did not recognize Bronson's name.· For its study the company polled 150 randomly selected physicians.
an attempt to find out about a subject that is important to the public, especially politics, by asking many people a set of question about how they feel about it: · According to the polls, a huge majority of citizens oppose bilingual education.poll of: · A poll of 700 female registered voters found that 56% favor full abortion rights.opinion poll (=a poll to find out people's political opinions): · Recent opinion polls show that the President's popularity has slipped.carry out/take a poll: · In a nationwide poll carried out in January, only one person in ten said they were happy with the tax reforms.
to ask a lot of people a set of questions about their opinions, the way they live, what they like and dislike etc in order to find out general opinions: · A large segment of the population that was surveyed was taking vitamin supplements.· Researchers surveyed 10,000 customers about the quality of companies that they used.
an attempt to find out people's opinions, the way they live, what they like and dislike etc, by asking a large number of people a set of questions: · A recent survey found that 36% of the women asked did not feel safe walking alone at night.survey of: · According to a survey of 606 city residents, garbage collection was the city service people liked most.survey on: · Many parents were surprised by the survey on teenage drug use.carry out/conduct a survey: · The survey on consumer confidence was conducted in late December.
to go to the houses of a lot of people or phone a lot of people up in order to find out their political opinions or to get their political support: · Party members were out canvassing as soon as the election was announced.· We canvassed over half the constituency by phone or text-message.
political activities before an election the activities and advertising used over a period of time to persuade people to vote for a particular party or person: · Richards and his team have already started planning his campaign for election as party leader.· Throughout the campaign, Baldwin looked the most likely to win.election campaign: · The government does not want this kind of bad publicity in the middle of an election campaign.
activities such as visiting places and talking to people to try to persuade them to vote for a particular person or party - use this especially when you think politicians are not being sincere when they do this: · Modern electioneering is sophisticated and highly organised.· Critics have dismissed his visit to a shelter for the homeless as an obvious piece of electioneering.
to go around an area or to people's houses in order to find out if they intend to vote for you or your party and, if not, to try to persuade them that they should: · She was canvassing in the Greenside area of town yesterday.· I spent the whole afternoon canvassing voters.canvass for: · I canvass for the Democrats at election times.
WORD SETSabsolutism, nounadministration, nounagency, nounagent, nounagent provocateur, nounalderman, nounally, nounassembly, nounautarchy, nounautocracy, nounautocrat, nounautonomous, adjectiveautonomy, nounban, nounbaron, nounbig government, nounbilateral, adjectivebody politic, nounbudget, nounbureau, nounbureaucracy, nouncabinet, nouncaliphate, nouncanton, nouncanvass, verbcapital, nouncapitalist, nounCapitol Hill, nounCBE, nouncede, verbcentral, adjectivecentral government, nouncentralism, nouncentralize, verbchancellery, nounchancery, nouncharter, nouncharter, verbchief, nounCIA, the, city hall, nouncity-state, nounclient state, nounCo., coalition, nouncold war, nouncolonial, adjectivecolonial, nouncolonialism, nouncolonize, verbcolony, nouncommissioner, nouncommune, nounconsort, nounconstitution, nounconstitutional, adjectiveconstitutionality, nounconvention, nouncoronation, nouncount, nouncounterintelligence, nouncountess, nouncounty, nouncounty council, noundecolonize, verbdemocracy, noundemocratic, adjectivedependency, noundespotism, noundétente, noundethrone, verbdevolution, noundictatorial, adjectivedictatorship, noundiplomacy, noundiplomatic immunity, noundirective, noundisinformation, noundispatch, noundispensation, noundissent, verbdistrict council, noundocumentation, nounDOD, dominion, nounDowning Street, noundynasty, nounearl, nounearldom, nounempire, nounEuro, adjectiveEurope, nounexecutive, nounexecutive privilege, nounfall, verbfall, nounfederalism, nounfeudal, adjectivefeudalism, nounfeudalistic, adjectivegazette, nounhead of state, nounhigh commission, nounimperial, adjectiveindependence, nounindependent, adjectiveinfrastructure, nouninstigate, verbinsurgent, nouninsurrection, nounintelligence, nouninternal, adjectivejunket, nounjunta, nounkingdom, nounkingship, nounkitchen cabinet, nounland office, nounland registry, nounlegation, nounlegislature, nounlicensed, adjectivelocal authority, nounlocal government, nounmaharajah, nounmaharani, nounmandate, nounmandated, adjectivemartial law, nounMBE, nounmeasure, nounmidterm, nounministry, nounminority government, nounmisrule, nounmonarchy, nounmonolith, nounmonolithic, adjectivemoratorium, nounmouthpiece, nounmove, verbmover, nounmunicipal, adjectivemunicipality, nounNASA, nounnational, adjectivenational debt, nounNational Health Service, the, nationalize, verbnational monument, nounnation state, nounNATO, nounneocolonialism, nounneutral, adjectiveneutral, nounneutralize, verbnon-aligned, adjectivenon-intervention, nounnon-proliferation, noun-ocracy, suffix-ocrat, suffixofficiate, verboligarchy, nounoperational, adjectiveoperative, nounoverthrow, verboverthrow, nounoverturn, verbpacify, verbpact, nounpalatinate, nounpardon, nounparish, nounpartition, nounpass, verbpeer, nounpeer, verbpeerage, nounpeeress, nounpermit, nounplenary, adjectiveplutocracy, nounpolice state, nounpolitburo, nounpolitical science, nounpolity, nounpork, nounpork barrel, nounportfolio, nounpossession, nounprecinct, nounprefecture, nounpremiership, nounpresidium, nounprotectorate, nounpublic, adjectivepublic service, nounquota, nounR, ratify, verbrealm, nounrecall, nounrecognition, nounrecognize, verbregency, nounregent, nounregime, nounregister, nounregulation, nounrelease, nounrepeal, verbrepresentative, nounrepressive, adjectiverepublic, nounrepublican, adjectiverescind, verbreunify, verbrevoke, verbrising, nounroyalist, nounruling, adjectivesanction, nounseat, nounsecret agent, nounsecurity service, nounself-governing, adjectiveself-rule, nounsheikh, nounshire, nounsocial democracy, nounsocialist, adjectivesocial service, nounsovereign, adjectivesovereignty, nounspin doctor, nounstaff, nounstate, nounstatehood, nounStatehouse, nounstate line, nounstate of emergency, nounstatewide, adjectivesubject, adjectivesubject, verbsultanate, nounsummit, nounsuperpower, nounsuppress, verbsupranational, adjectivesurgery, nounsuzerainty, nountechnocracy, nounterritory, nounthrone, nountopple, verbtotalitarian, adjectivetown planning, nountownship, nountransit visa, nountreaty, nountribalism, nountripartite, adjectivetrusteeship, nountsarism, nountyrant, nountzarism, noununconstitutional, adjectiveunification, noununify, verbunilateral, adjectiveunion, nounUnion Jack, nounvassal, nounVIP, nounviscount, nounviscountess, nounwelfare state, nounWhitehall, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The US has been canvassing support from other Asian states. A committee was set up to canvass the city’s educational options.
1[intransitive, transitive] to try to persuade people to support a political party, politician, plan etc by going to see them and talking to them, especially when you want them to vote for you in an election: The US has been canvassing support from other Asian states. A committee was set up to canvass the city’s educational options. Candidates from all three parties were out canvassing in Darlington today.canvass for Chapman spent the rest of May canvassing for votes. The US has been canvassing support from other Asian states.2[intransitive, transitive] to ask people about something in order to get their opinion or to get information: Police canvassed the neighborhood, but didn’t find any witnesses.3[transitive] to talk about a problem, suggestion etc in detail: A committee was set up to canvass the city’s educational options.—canvasser noun [countable]—canvass noun [countable]