canvass.
To thoroughly examine or investigate (something) physically or by discussion; to debate, to gather opinion, to scrutinize.
Meaning & usage
To thoroughly examine or investigate (something) physically or by discussion; to debate, to gather opinion, to scrutinize.
To scrutinize (the ballot in an election or the votes cast) and reject irregular votes; also, to challenge or dispute (an election result).
To seek or solicit donations, information, opinions, support, etc. from (people or a place)
The police are canvassing the neighbourhood for information about the missing child.
To seek the support of (voters or a constituency) in a forthcoming election or poll through personal solicitation or public addresses.
The electoral candidate canvassed the district for votes.
To toss (someone) in a (canvas) sheet for fun or as a punishment; to blanket.
To batter, beat, or thrash (someone or something).
To assail or attack (someone or something).
To severely criticize (a person, a written work, etc.).
To debate, to discuss.
To seek or solicit donations, information, opinions, support, etc.; to conduct a survey.
To seek the support of voters or a constituency in a forthcoming election or poll; to campaign.
Where this word comes from
The verb is derived from canvas (“type of coarse cloth woven from hemp”). The connection between “to toss (someone) in a (canvas) sheet; (by extension) to batter, beat, or thrash (someone or something); etc.” and “to seek the support of voters or a constituency in a forthcoming election or poll” is not entirely clear. The noun is derived from the verb. It has been suggested that noun sense 4.2 (“rejection (at an election, of a suit, etc.)”) may refer to the canvas bag used by journeymen mechanics which they used to pack up their tools after they had completed their jobs, in which case it is not derived from the verb but directly from canvas (noun).
A seeking or solicitation of donations, information, opinions, support, etc.
A seeking or solicitation, or determination, of support or favourable votes in a forthcoming election or poll.
A scrutiny of the votes cast in an election to reject irregular votes; also, a tally, audit, and certification of votes.
A thorough discussion or investigation. (Possibly; the meaning is unclear.)
Rejection (at an election, of a suit, etc.).
Where this word comes from
The verb is derived from canvas (“type of coarse cloth woven from hemp”). The connection between “to toss (someone) in a (canvas) sheet; (by extension) to batter, beat, or thrash (someone or something); etc.” and “to seek the support of voters or a constituency in a forthcoming election or poll” is not entirely clear. The noun is derived from the verb. It has been suggested that noun sense 4.2 (“rejection (at an election, of a suit, etc.)”) may refer to the canvas bag used by journeymen mechanics which they used to pack up their tools after they had completed their jobs, in which case it is not derived from the verb but directly from canvas (noun).
Obsolete spelling of canvas.
Where this word comes from
A variant of canvas (noun).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.