# canvass

Pronunciation: say "KAN-vuhs" /ˈkænvəs/

## Verb

1. To approach the people of a group or area one after another, asking for money, information, opinions, support, or the like.
   - Simple: To ask many people or a place for money, opinions, or support.
   - _The fundraising team canvassed every household in the district for contributions._
   - _Reporters canvass residents to gather opinions before publishing a story._
2. To try to win the backing of voters or a constituency before an election or poll, by approaching them personally or speaking in public.
   - Simple: To ask voters for their support before an election.
   - _The campaign canvassed thousands of households across the swing district._
   - _Local party members canvass undecided voters in the weeks before polling day._
3. To thoroughly examine or investigate something, whether physically or through discussion; to debate or scrutinize it.
   - Simple: To look at or talk about something carefully to understand it fully.
   - _The board canvassed the proposal at length before approving the budget._
   - _Lawyers canvass each piece of evidence carefully during a trial._
4. To question people as part of a survey or ask them for things such as money, information, opinions, or support.
   - Simple: To go around asking people for money, opinions, or support.
   - _The researchers canvassed extensively across the region._
   - _Several students canvass on weekends to fund their club._
5. To campaign for the votes of a constituency or of voters before an upcoming election or poll.
   - Simple: To campaign and ask people to vote for someone in an election.
   - _Volunteers canvassed across the borough ahead of the local elections._
   - _Members of both parties canvass actively whenever an election approaches._
6. To engage in debate or discussion about a matter.
   - Simple: To talk about a topic with others, sharing different views.
   - _The councilors canvassed for hours over the disputed clause._
   - _Scholars still canvass over the poem's true meaning._
10. To examine the ballots or votes cast in an election and reject irregular ones; also, to challenge or dispute an election result. *(Philippines)*
   - Simple: To carefully check the votes in an election and remove any that break the rules.
   - _County clerks canvass the returns to verify each vote before certifying the election._
   - _Her lawyers moved to canvass the disputed result in three precincts._

## Noun

7. A drive to collect donations, information, opinions, support, or the like by asking people for them.
   - Simple: An effort to get money, opinions, or support from many people.
   - _The charity's annual canvass brought in record donations this year._
   - _Organizers launched a canvass to gauge support for the new policy._
8. A campaign to win votes or backing before an upcoming election or poll, or an effort to gauge how much support there is.
   - Simple: An effort to win votes or support before an election.
   - _The campaign's canvass covered every neighborhood in the city._
   - _A thorough canvass showed the incumbent trailing badly._
9. The official examination of an election's ballots to weed out irregular ones, or more broadly the tallying, auditing, and certifying of the results. *(US)*
   - Simple: A careful check and count of the votes after an election.
   - _The board's canvass confirmed the official vote totals._
   - _State law requires a canvass before any winner is certified._

## Verb

11. To criticize a person, a piece of writing, or the like, severely. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To strongly criticize a person or their work.
12. To toss someone up and down in a canvas sheet, whether in sport or as a punishment. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To throw someone up and down in a sheet, for fun or as a punishment.
15. To batter, beat, or thrash a person or thing. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To hit or beat someone or something hard.
16. To assail or attack a person or thing. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To attack or set upon a person or thing.

## Noun

13. A thorough discussion or investigation of a matter, though the precise sense is now uncertain. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A careful, complete discussion or look into something.
14. Rejection, as at an election or of a petition or suit. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: The act of turning someone down at an election or rejecting a request.
17. Obsolete spelling of canvas. *(obsolete)* — Obsolete spelling of canvas.
   - Simple: Obsolete spelling of canvas. You may see it in very old books and records.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–16** — The verb comes from "canvas," a type of coarse cloth woven from hemp, and the noun comes from the verb. The link between the older sense "to toss someone in a canvas sheet (and by extension to beat or thrash)" and the sense "to seek voters' support in an election" is not entirely clear. It has been suggested that one noun sense may instead come directly from "canvas," referring to the canvas bag mechanics used to pack up their tools.
**Meaning 17** — This sense is a variant of the noun "canvas."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/canvass (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).