Solicit vs. Canvass

To persistently endeavor to obtain an object, or bring about an event.

Example: ‘to solicit alms, or a favour’;

To woo; to court.

To persuade or incite one to commit some act, especially illegal or sexual behavior.

Example: ‘If you want to lose your virginity, you should try to solicit some fine looking women.’;

To offer to perform sexual activity, especially when for a payment.

Example: ‘My girlfriend tried to solicit me for sex, but I was tired.’;

To make a petition.

(archaic) To disturb or trouble; to harass.

To urge the claims of; to plead; to act as solicitor for or with reference to.

To disturb; to disquiet.

To ask from with earnestness; to make petition to; to apply to for obtaining something; as, to solicit person for alms.

Example: ‘Did I solicit theeFrom darkness to promote me?’;

To endeavor to obtain; to seek; to plead for; as, to solicit an office; to solicit a favor.

Example: ‘I view my crime, but kindle at the view,Repent old pleasures, and solicit new.’;

To awake or excite to action; to rouse desire in; to summon; to appeal to; to invite.

Example: ‘That fruit . . . solicited her longing eye.’; ‘Sounds and some tangible qualities solicit their proper senses, and force an entrance to the mind.’;

To urge the claims of; to plead; to act as solicitor for or with reference to.

Example: ‘ShouldMy brother henceforth study to forgetThe vow that he hath made thee, I would everSolicit thy deserts.’;

To disturb; to disquiet; - a Latinism rarely used.

Example: ‘Hath any ill solicited thine ears?’; ‘But anxious fears solicit my weak breast.’;

make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently;

Example: ‘Henry IV solicited the Pope for a divorce’; ‘My neighbor keeps soliciting money for different charities’;

make amorous advances towards;

Example: ‘John is courting Mary’;

approach with an offer of sexual favors;

Example: ‘he was solicited by a prostitute’; ‘The young man was caught soliciting in the park’;

incite, move, or persuade to some act of lawlessness or insubordination;

Example: ‘He was accused of soliciting his colleagues to destroy the documents’;

make a solicitation or petition for something desired;

Example: ‘She is too shy to solicit’;

A solicitation of voters or public opinion.

A tally, audit and certification of votes.

archaic form of canvas

To toss in a canvas sheet; to thrash, beat.

(transitive) To solicit voters, opinions, etc. from; to go through, with personal solicitation or public addresses.

Example: ‘to canvass a district for votes; to canvass a city for subscriptions’;

(intransitive) To conduct a survey.

(intransitive) To campaign.

(transitive) To sift; to strain; to examine thoroughly; to scrutinize.

Example: ‘to canvass the votes cast at an election; to canvass a district with reference to its probable vote’;

(transitive) To examine by discussion; to debate.

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.

Example: ‘I have made careful search on all hands, and canvassed the matter with all possible diligence.’;

To examine by discussion; to debate.

Example: ‘An opinion that we are likely soon to canvass.’;

To go through, with personal solicitation or public addresses; as, to canvass a district for votes; to canvass a city for subscriptions.

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.

Close inspection; careful review for verification; as, a canvass of votes.

Examination in the way of discussion or debate.

Search; exploration; solicitation; systematic effort to obtain votes, subscribers, etc.

Example: ‘No previous canvass was made for me.’;

the setting for a narrative or fictional or dramatic account;

Example: ‘the crowded canvas of history’; ‘the movie demanded a dramatic canvas of sound’;

an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a random sample of people

a large piece of fabric (as canvas) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel

a tent made of canvas

an oil painting on canvas

the mat that forms the floor of the ring in which boxers or professional wrestlers compete;

Example: ‘the boxer picked himself up off the canvas’;

heavy closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)

get the opinions (of people) by asking specific questions

solicit votes from potential voters in an electoral campaign

consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning;

Example: ‘analyze a sonnet by Shakespeare’; ‘analyze the evidence in a criminal trial’; ‘analyze your real motives’;

solicit votes from (electors or members)

Example: ‘he's canvassing for the Green Party’; ‘in each ward, two workers canvassed some 2,000 voters’;

try to obtain (support)

Example: ‘they're canvassing support among shareholders’;

question (someone) in order to ascertain their opinion

Example: ‘they promised to canvass all member clubs for their views’;

propose (an idea or plan) for discussion

Example: ‘early retirement was canvassed as a solution to the problem of unemployment’;

discuss thoroughly

Example: ‘the issues that were canvassed are still unresolved’;

an act of canvassing

Example: ‘a house-to-house canvass’;