polled

The farmer checks on his polled cow in the pasture.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Having had horns removed: "polled" describes an animal, typically cattle, that has had its horns cut off or is naturally hornless.
   • Having had a part of the body cut off: In a general sense, it can refer to having a projecting part (like horns or antlers) removed.

2. Verb (past tense of "poll"):

   • To cut off or trim: "polled" is the past tense of the verb "poll," meaning to cut off the top or projecting part of something, especially horns or branches.
   • To record votes: In a different context, "polled" can mean having collected votes in an election.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The farmer prefers polled cattle because they are safer to handle. (Cattle without horns.)
  • The polled goat was easy to manage in the pen. (A goat that had its horns removed.)

• Verb (past tense):

  • The rancher polled the young bulls last spring. (The rancher removed the horns from the bulls.)
  • The committee polled the members on the new policy. (The committee collected votes from the members.)

Advanced Usage

• "polled breed": a breed of cattle that is naturally hornless.

  • The Angus is a polled breed, meaning all individuals are born without horns. (A naturally hornless breed.)

• "polled livestock": farm animals that have been dehorned or are naturally hornless.

  • Polled livestock are less likely to injure each other. (Animals without horns.)

Variants and Related Words

• Poll (v): to remove horns or to record votes.

  • We need to poll the herd next week. (Remove the horns from the animals.)

• Polled (adj): used specifically for animals that lack horns.

  • The polled sheep were easier to shear. (Sheep without horns.)

• Dehorned (adj): a synonym meaning having horns removed.

  • The dehorned cow was much calmer. (A cow that had its horns cut off.)

Synonyms

• Hornless: lacking horns naturally or by removal.

  • The hornless goat was a polled variety. (Without horns.)

• Trimmed: having a part cut off.

  • The trimmed branches were polled from the tree. (Cut off.)

• Disbudded: having buds (including horn buds) removed.

  • The disbudded calves were polled at a young age. (Horn buds removed.)

Related Idioms

• There are no common idioms using "polled" directly, as the term is mostly technical in agriculture and voting. However, the verb "poll" appears in:
  • "Poll the audience": to ask for opinions or votes from a group.

    • The show host polled the audience for their favourite song. (Asked the audience to vote.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Poll off: to remove by polling (rare usage).
  • The farmer polled off the horns carefully. (Cut off the horns.)