Polygraph

//ˈpɒliɡɹæf// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 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 posed to a subject, in an attempt to detect deception.

    "It used to be just a plain office with a chair and some instruments on a table. Then they got the new, fancy polygraph system."

  2. 2
    a medical instrument that records several physiological processes simultaneously (e.g., pulse rate and blood pressure and respiration and perspiration) wordnet
  3. 3
    A mechanical instrument for multiplying copies of a writing, resembling multiple pantographs. dated
  4. 4
    A collection of different works, either by one or several authors. archaic
  5. 5
    A group of letters that represent a single phoneme.
Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    Any group of letters treated as a single item.

    "A polygraph consists of an unspecified number of adjacent letters. A polygraph need not be recognisable as a word in a language but if we are attempting to decipher a message which is expected to be in English and we find the heptagraph MEETING it is much more promising than if we find a heptagraph such as DKRPIGX."

  2. 7
    An author who writes on many subjects.
  3. 8
    A multidimensional directed graph.
Verb
  1. 1
    To administer a polygraph test to. transitive

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

Etymology

Etymology 1

From poly- + -graph.

Etymology 2

From poly- + -graph.

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