polygraph
Intermediate (B1)
IPA: /ˈpɒlɪˌɡræf/
KK: /ˈpɑlɪˌgræf/
noun
Definition
A device that measures and records physiological responses like heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing, often used to determine if someone is lying.
Example
The detective used a polygraph to check if the suspect was telling the truth.
Conversation
Did you hear about that new crime show where they use a polygraph?
Yeah, I've seen it! Those tests always seem so intense.
I wonder how accurate a polygraph really is in real life.
It's interesting, but I heard they're not always reliable.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
lie detector
pulsometer
physiograph
Antonyms
truth
honesty
sincerity
transitive verb
Definition
A device that measures and records physiological responses, such as heart rate and blood pressure, to determine if someone is telling the truth or lying.
Example
The detective decided to polygraph the suspect to see if he was being honest about his alibi.
Tense Forms
Past: polygraphed
Past Participle: polygraphed
Conversation
Did you hear about the detective who polygraphed the suspect last night?
Yeah, I heard it was really intense!
I wonder if the results were reliable after they polygraphed him.
Root Explanation
Polygraph → It is formed from "poly-" (from Greek "polus", meaning many) and "graph" (from Greek "grapho", meaning to write). The word "polygraph" refers to a device that records many physiological responses, often used in lie detection, thus meaning to write or record many things.
Memory Tip
Think of 'many' ('poly-') things being 'written' or recorded ('graph') — that's why a polygraph measures multiple responses.
Visually Confused Words
apograph
polarograph
pistolgraph