jargon.artrocity.com
New Hacker's Dictionary the Jargon File v 4.4.6
1. [techspeak] The action of checking the status of an input line, sensor, or memory location to see if a particular external event has been registered.
2. To repeatedly call or check with someone: “I keep polling him, but he's not answering his phone; he must be swapped out.”
3. To ask. “Lunch? I poll for a takeout order daily.”