Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Poll \Poll\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Polled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Polling}.]
   1. To remove the poll or head of; hence, to remove the top or
      end of; to clip; to lop; to shear; as, to poll the head;
      to poll a tree.

            When he [Absalom] pollled his head.   --2 Sam. xiv.
                                                  26.

            His death did so grieve them that they polled
            themselves; they clipped off their horse and mule's
            hairs.                                --Sir T.
                                                  North.

   2. To cut off; to remove by clipping, shearing, etc.; to mow
      or crop; -- sometimes with off; as, to poll the hair; to
      poll wool; to poll grass.

            Who, as he polled off his dart's head, so sure he
            had decreed That all the counsels of their war he
            would poll off like it.               --Chapman.

   3. To extort from; to plunder; to strip. [Obs.]

            Which polls and pills the poor in piteous wise.
                                                  --Spenser.

   4. To impose a tax upon. [Obs.]

   5. To pay as one's personal tax.

            The man that polled but twelve pence for his head.
                                                  --Dryden.

   6. To enter, as polls or persons, in a list or register; to
      enroll, esp. for purposes of taxation; to enumerate one by
      one.

            Polling the reformed churches whether they equalize
            in number those of his three kingdoms. --Milton.

   7. To register or deposit, as a vote; to elicit or call
      forth, as votes or voters; as, he polled a hundred votes
      more than his opponent.

            And poll for points of faith his trusty vote.
                                                  --Tickell.

   8. (Law) To cut or shave smooth or even; to cut in a straight
      line without indentation; as, a polled deed. See {Dee?
      poll}. --Burrill.

Polling \Poll"ing\, n. [See {Poll} the head.]
   1. The act of topping, lopping, or cropping, as trees or
      hedges.

   2. Plunder, or extortion. [Obs.] --E. Hall.

   3. The act of voting, or of registering a vote.

   {Polling booth}, a temporary structure where the voting at an
      election is done; a polling place.

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

polling
     
        {poll}