CANVASS Copy link • CANVASS 1. textum. quod dicitur Canevas; canava, canevasium. Going round to ask for votes, ambitio, prensatio: ambitus (by illegal means). 2. v. to investigate, scrutari; perscrutari; considerare. To canvass for votes, ambire, circumire (circumire stronger than ambire, Cic.., Att., 14, 21, Antonium circumire veteranos, ut acta Caesaris sancirent: that is, he made, in his canvassing, the round from first to last: ambire would only express his canvassing, and addressing the veterans in general. Vid: Döderlein’s Synonyms, p. 12). CANVASSING. ambitio: prensatio.