polygraph
Meaning
A machine that records changes in a person's bodily functions (such as heart rate and sweating) and is used to try to determine if they are telling the truth.
An article or book written by several different authors.
Structure
Usage
The suspect was asked to take a polygraph test during the investigation.
The results of a polygraph are not always admissible as evidence in court.
His latest publication is a polygraph on European history, featuring chapters from various scholars.
Etymology
The word 'polygraph' is a modern compound formed from two ancient Greek elements. The prefix 'poly-' carries the enduring sense of "many" or "much," while the root '-graph' derives from the verb graphein, "to write." Its literal meaning, "many writings," first described a voluminous literary work or a collection by multiple authors. In the 20th century, this logic was technologically extended. The device was named a polygraph because it produces "many writings" or simultaneous graphical records of several physiological responses on a single chart, metaphorically "writing" the body's signals to assess truthfulness.
Analysis
- poly: From Greek poly-, meaning "much, many". A combining form used in English to indicate multiplicity. - graph: From Greek graphē, meaning "writing, a drawing, a record". A combining form denoting something written or recorded.