What does "polling" mean?

1. (opinion gathering) the activity of asking many people the same questions to find out what the public thinks. 2. (voting process) the act of casting or counting votes in an election. 3. (computing check) when a computer or program keeps checking a device to see if it has information ready to send.

polling

US //ˈpoʊɫɪŋ// UK //pˈəʊlɪŋ// polling

1 opinion gathering (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the activity of asking many people the same questions to find out what the public thinks.

the systematic collection and analysis of public opinion through surveys or questionnaires.

Example

The latest polling suggests that most people are worried about the cost of living.

Example

Political analysts rely on sophisticated polling techniques to identify shifts in voter sentiment during the final weeks of a campaign.
- surveying
- sampling
- canvassing
2 voting process (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Law

the act of casting or counting votes in an election.

the process of recording and counting votes in an election or referendum.

Example

Polling will take place between 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM on Thursday.

Example

The electoral commission ensured that polling stations were accessible to all citizens, regardless of their physical mobility.
- voting
- balloting

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3 computing check (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

when a computer or program keeps checking a device to see if it has information ready to send.

a method in which a central controller or software process repeatedly queries a peripheral device or service to determine its status or readiness for data transfer.

Example

The software uses polling to check if the printer is still connected to the network.

Example

While polling is simple to implement, it can be inefficient compared to interrupt-driven systems because it consumes processor cycles even when no data is available.
- querying
- sampling
- interrupt