polygraph

UK/ˈpɒliɡɹæf/US/ˈpɒliɡɹæf/

nounC1Common in everyday speech and writing · #6,734 of 15,258leans spoken

Other forms: polygraphs

A polygraph is a machine that records bodily signs to test for lying. Fail a polygraph, a polygraph test, submit to a polygraph.

It measures arousal rather than deception, which is why the results are inadmissible in most courts and why an innocent frightened person can fail. It is used in some countries for screening rather than for evidence.

Definitions of polygraph

1nounpolygraphA machine that records bodily signs to test for lying.C1
“The suspect agreed to take a polygraph to prove he was telling the truth.”

polygraph is a machine.

Where it comes from

Poly-, many, plus -graph, a writing, from the several traces the machine draws at once.

From poly + graph.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

polygraph in the wild

The most common and long used measure is the polygraph.
Lie detection
The American Polygraph Association (APA) is a professional association of polygraph examiners.
American Polygraph Association
A polygraph is a duplicating device that produces a copy of a piece of writing simultaneously with the creation of the original, using pens and ink.
Polygraph (duplicating device)
Jefferson called the polygraph "the finest invention of the present age".
Polygraph (duplicating device)
A polygraph is an author who writes in a variety of fields.
Polygraph (author)

1 / 2

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

← Vocabulary