polygraph

detector

 [de-tek´ter]

a device by which an object or condition can be discovered.

image detector any recording medium used in radiology, such as film or a cathode ray tube.

lie detector polygraph.

Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

pol·y·graph

(pol'ē-graf),

1. An instrument to obtain simultaneous tracings from several different sources; for example, radial and jugular pulse, apex beat of the heart, phonocardiogram, electrocardiogram. The ECG is nearly always included for timing.

2. An instrument for recording changes in respiration, blood pressure, galvanic skin response, and other physiologic changes while the person is questioned about some matter or asked to give associations to relevant and irrelevant words; these physiologic changes are presumed to be indicators of emotional reactions, and thus whether the person is telling the truth. Synonym(s): lie detector

[poly- + G. graphō, to write]

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

polygraph

(pŏl′ē-grăf′)

n.

An instrument that measures the physiological responses of an individual to questions from an examiner who interprets the results as indicating the likelihood that the individual is telling or not telling the truth in giving the answers.

tr.v. poly·graphed, poly·graphing, poly·graphs

To test (a criminal suspect, for example) with a polygraph.

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po·lyg′ra·pher (pə-lĭg′rə-fər), po·lyg′ra·phist (-fĭst) n.

pol′y·graph′ic adj.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Commonly called a lie detector. An instrument that measures and records a test subject’s sympathetic nervous system responses—pulse, blood pressure, galvanic skin conductance due to sweating, breathing rhythms, and temperature—to a series of questions, on the premise that true and false answers produce distinctive patterns of response.

Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

polygraph

Lie detector A device designed to detect deception by evaluating physiologic responses to various spoken questions, measuring and recording changes in electrical and mechanical impulses in various parameters–eg, bp, respiratory rate, galvanic skin reflex

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

pol·y·graph

(pol'ē-graf)

1. An instrument for obtaining simultaneous tracings from several different sources (e.g., radial and jugular pulse, apex beat of the heart, phonocardiogram, electrocardiogram). The electrocardiogram is nearly always included for timing.

2. An instrument for recording changes in respiration, blood pressure, galvanic skin response, and other physiologic changes while the subject is interviewed or asked to give associations to relevant and irrelevant words; the physiologic changes are presumed to be emotional reactions, and thus indicative of whether the subject is telling the truth.
Synonym(s): lie detector.

[poly- + G. graphō, to write]

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

polygraph

An instrument that simultaneously records changes in various physiological parameter such as pulse rate, respiration rate, blood pressure and skin resistance changes from sweating. These sensitively reflect alterations in the emotions and the device is used to detect deception in answers to questions. A ‘lie detector’.

Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005