Standard Lemma guide

polygraph

noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpɒliɡɹæf/
  • /ˈpɒliɡɹɑːf/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æf
  • rhymes with -ɑːf
  • CMU ARPABET: P AA1 L IY2 G R AE2 F Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lie detector

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A mechanical instrument for multiplying copies of a writing, resembling multiple pantographs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: manifold writer, autopen

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A collection of different works, either by one or several authors.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A group of letters that represent a single phoneme.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: multigraph

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Any group of letters treated as a single item.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An author who writes on many subjects.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A multidimensional directed graph.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: computad

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To administer a polygraph test to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

a medical instrument that records several physiological processes simultaneously (e.g., pulse rate and blood pressure and respiration and perspiration)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: medical instrument

Narrower terms: lie detector

History

Etymology

From poly- + -graph.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: polígraf — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Chinese Cantonese: 測謊器 /测谎器 (caak1 fong1 hei3) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Chinese Cantonese: 測謊儀 /测谎仪 (caak1 fong1 ji4) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Chinese Cantonese: 測謊機 /测谎机 (caak1 fong1 gei1) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Chinese Mandarin: 測謊器 /测谎器 (cèhuǎngqì) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Chinese Mandarin: 測謊儀 /测谎仪 (cèhuǎngyí) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Chinese Mandarin: 測謊機 /测谎机 (cèhuǎngjī) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Finnish: valheenpaljastin — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • French: polygraphe — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • French: détecteur de mensonges — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Galician: polígrafo — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • German: Lügendetektor — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Hebrew: פּוֹלִיגְרָף (poligráf, póligraf) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Hungarian: poligráf — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Hungarian: hazugságvizsgáló — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Japanese: ポリグラフ (porigurafu) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Japanese: 嘘発見器 (uso-hakkenki) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Kazakh: жалған айтуды анықтау құрылғысы (jalğan aitudy anyqtau qūrylğysy) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Korean: 폴리그래프 (polligeuraepeu) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Korean: 거짓말 탐지기 (geojinmal tamjigi) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Persian: پلیگراف (poligerâf) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Portuguese: polígrafo — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Russian: полигра́ф (poligráf) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Russian: дете́ктор лжи (detéktor lži) — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Spanish: polígrafo — device to discern if a subject is lying
  • Turkish: poligraf — device to discern if a subject is lying