Canvass
/ˈkæn.vəs/noun
To solicit votes, opinions, or support; or to examine something carefully.
Did you know?Canvass is historically tied to the same root as canvas, because both come from Latin cannabis, referring to hemp cloth used for sieving, shaking, and even political “sifting” of opinions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kan-
“To sing? No — the secure root here is not PIE; the word’s deeper ancestry is uncertain before Latin.”
Latin
Latin
cannabis
“Hemp.”
Late Latin
Latin
cannapaceus / cannavacium
“Hemp cloth or canvas-like material.”
Middle English
English
canvass
“To toss in a canvas sheet, especially to sift or separate by shaking.”
16th–17th Century
English
canvass
“To examine or discuss thoroughly, then to solicit opinions or votes.”
Modern English
English
canvass
“To solicit political support or carefully survey something.”