Etymology: (1500–10; orig. sp. var. of canvas , as a v.; sense “discuss” appar. development of the earlier senses “toss in a canvas sheet”)
Definition of 'canvass'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (noun)canvas, canvass the setting for a narrative or fictional or dramatic account "the crowded canvas of history"; "the movie demanded a dramatic canvas of sound"
2. (noun)poll, opinion poll, public opinion poll, canvass an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a random sample of people
6. (noun)canvas, canvass the mat that forms the floor of the ring in which boxers or professional wrestlers compete "the boxer picked himself up off the canvas"
7. (verb)canvas, canvass a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
8. (verb)poll, canvass, canvas get the opinions (of people) by askingspecific questions
9. (verb)canvass, canvas solicit votes from potential voters in an electoral campaign
10. (verb)analyze, analyse, study, examine, canvass, canvas consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning "analyze a sonnet by Shakespeare"; "analyze the evidence in a criminal trial"; "analyze your real motives"
Definition of 'canvass'
Webster Dictionary
1. (noun)canvass to sift; to strain; to examine thoroughly; to scrutinize; as, to canvass the votes cast at an election; to canvass a district with reference to its probable vote
2. (noun)canvass to examine by discussion; to debate
3. (noun)canvass to go trough, with personal solicitation or public addresses; as, to canvass a district for votes; to canvass a city for subscriptions
4. (noun)canvass close inspection; careful review for verification; as, a canvass of votes
7. (verb)canvass to search thoroughly; to engage in solicitation by traversing a district; as, to canvass for subscriptions or for votes; to canvass for a book, a publisher, or in behalf of a charity; -- commonly followed by for
Definitions of canvass 
Afrikaans: stemme werf, kiesers bear
Arabic: يَطوفُ بالمَنازِلِ طَلَبا
Bulgarian: агитирам
Brazilian: angariar
Czech: agitovat
German: Stimmen werben
Danish: propagandere
Greek: ψηφοθηρώ
Spanish: hacer propaganda, hacer c
Estonian: hääli hankima
Farsi: خانه به خانه رفتن برای جل
Finnish: kalastellaääniä
French: faire campagne pour
Hebrew: לְגָייֵס תְּמִיכָה
Hindi: वोट मांगना, चंदा मांगना
Croatian: agitirati
Hungarian: korteskedik
Indonesian: kampanye
Icelandic: safna undirskriftum/atkvæ
Italian: fare propaganda
Japanese: 勧誘して回る
Korean: 유세하다
Lithuanian: agituoti
Latvian: aģitēt; vākt balsis
Malay: berkempen
Dutch: klanten, stemmen werven
Norwegian: samle underskrifter/støtt
Polish: zabiegać o głosy
Persian: خانه به خانه رفتن برای جل
Pashto: په ټاټ يا شړۍ كې نغښتل: ا
Portuguese: angariar
Romanian: a face campanie (electora
Russian: агитировать
Slovak: agitovať
Slovenian: nabirati glasove
Serbian: agitovati
Swedish: gå runt och [försöka] vär
Thai: หาเสียง
Turkish: oy toplamak; kapı kapı do
Taiwanese: 遊說，拉選票
Ukrainian: збирати голоси
Urdu: لوگوں کو (رائے دہی) کے لئ
Vietnamese: đi vận động
Chinese: 游说，拉选票
