Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Census \Cen"sus\, n. [L. census, fr. censere. See {Censor}.]
   1. (Bot. Antiq.) A numbering of the people, and valuation of
      their estate, for the purpose of imposing taxes, etc.; --
      usually made once in five years.

   2. An official registration of the number of the people, the
      value of their estates, and other general statistics of a
      country.

   Note: A general census of the United States was first taken
         in 1790, and one has been taken at the end of every ten
         years since.

Source : WordNet®

census
     n : a period count of the population [syn: {nose count}, {nosecount}]

census
     v : conduct a census; "They censused the deer in the forest"