polygraph

English

Etymology

poly- "much" + -graph "writing"

Noun

polygraph (plural polygraphs)

chart recorder often used with a
polygraph

1. A device which measures and records several physiological variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and skin conductivity while a series of questions is being asked to a subject, in an attempt to detect lies.
2. (dated) A mechanical instrument for multiplying copies of a writing, resembling multiple pantographs.
3. (archaic) A collection of different works, either by one or several authors.
4. (linguistics) A group of letters that represent a single phoneme

Synonyms

• (device recording physiological measurements): lie detector
• (dated instrument for copying): manifold writer, autopen

Thomas Jefferson's polygraph copying device

See also

• polygraph on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• truth serum
• digraph, trigraph etc

Translations

device to discern if a subject is lying

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 測謊器／测谎器 (zh) (cèhuǎngqì), 测谎器 (cèhuǎngqì), 測謊儀／测谎仪 (cèhuǎngyí), 测谎仪 (cèhuǎngyí), 測謊機／测谎机 (cèhuǎngjī)

• Finnish: valheenpaljastin
• French: polygraphe (fr) m, détecteur de mensonges m
• German: Lügendetektor (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hebrew: פּוֹלִיגְרָף (polygraf) m
• Japanese: ポリグラフ (porigurafu), 嘘発見器 (うそはっけんき, uso-hakkenki)
• Russian: полигра́ф (ru) m (poligráf), дете́ктор лжи m (detéktor lži)
• Spanish: polígrafo (es) m

Verb

polygraph (third-person singular simple present polygraphs, present participle polygraphing, simple past and past participle polygraphed)

1. To administer a polygraph test.

   The FBI polygraphed the suspect but learned nothing because they already knew he was lying.