From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcanvasscan‧vass /ˈkænvəs/ verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]PGBBVOTE/ELECT to try to persuade people to support a political party, politician, plan etc by going to see them and talking to them, especially when you want them to vote for you in an election Candidates from all three parties were out canvassing in Darlington today.canvass for Chapman spent the rest of May canvassing for votes. The US has been canvassing support from other Asian states.2 [intransitive, transitive] to ask people about something in order to get their opinion or to get information Police canvassed the neighborhood, but didn’t find any witnesses.3 [transitive]PGBBASK FOR something/ASK somebody TO DO something to talk about a problem, suggestion etc in detail A committee was set up to canvass the city’s educational options. —canvasser noun [countable] —canvass noun [countable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
canvass• The suggestion is being widely canvassed as a possible solution to the dispute.• Party members were out canvassing as soon as the election was announced.• In that race, the canvassing board determined that John Hoff defeated write-in candidate Lowell Stevens 265 to 259.• Session chairpersons were still being canvassed by Douglas during the week before he left.• I canvass for the Democrats at election times.• In the experience of friends who canvass for the Labour party, old, white, middle-class men are the rudest.• No one I canvassed had any personal complaint against the National Health Service.• This makes it harder to wax indignant at the ideas being canvassed in Washington.• Lord Wilberforce examined the interests which an insurance-broking business might have in preventing an employee canvassing its clients once he had left.• The council is canvassing local opinion before deciding next month whether to allow the concert to go ahead.• We canvassed over half the constituency by phone or text-message.• Police canvassed the neighborhood but didn't find anyone who knew the man.• I spent the whole afternoon canvassing voters.canvassing support• Our representatives are now canvassing support for that.From Longman Business Dictionarycanvasscan‧vass /ˈkænvəs/ verb [transitive]MARKETING1to ask people about something in order to get their opinion or to get informationPeople were canvassed for their opinions on the scheme. —canvasser noun [countable]You may get a brief visit from a canvasser.2to try to persuade people to support someone or somethingThe US has been canvassing support from other Asian countries.→ See Verb tableOrigin canvass (1500-1600) canvass “to throw up in the air from a canvas sheet as a game or punishment” ((16-17 centuries)), from canvas 