Question

polygraph My brother-in-law is completely law-abiding, but he's such a nervous type that he's failed two polygraph tests at job interviews. ˈpɑˌliˌgræf

Accepted Answer

An instrument for recording changes in several bodily functions (such as blood pressure and rate of breathing) at the same time; lie detector. With its graph- root (see GRAPH), polygraph indicates that it writes out several different results. A polygraph's output consists of a set of squiggly lines on a computer screen, each indicating one function being tested. The functions most commonly measured are blood pressure, breathing rate, pulse, and perspiration, all of which tend to increase when you lie. Polygraphs have been in use since 1924, and have gotten more sensitive over the years, though many experts still believe that they're unreliable and that a prepared liar can fool the machine. They're used not only for law enforcement but perhaps more often by employers—often the police department itself!—who don't want to hire someone who has broken the law in the past but won't admit to it

word	polygraph
definition	An instrument for recording changes in several bodily functions (such as blood pressure and rate of breathing) at the same time; lie detector.
eg_sentence	My brother-in-law is completely law-abiding, but he's such a nervous type that he's failed two polygraph tests at job interviews.
explanation	With its graph- root (see GRAPH), polygraph indicates that it writes out several different results. A polygraph's output consists of a set of squiggly lines on a computer screen, each indicating one function being tested. The functions most commonly measured are blood pressure, breathing rate, pulse, and perspiration, all of which tend to increase when you lie. Polygraphs have been in use since 1924, and have gotten more sensitive over the years, though many experts still believe that they're unreliable and that a prepared liar can fool the machine. They're used not only for law enforcement but perhaps more often by employers—often the police department itself!—who don't want to hire someone who has broken the law in the past but won't admit to it
IPA	ˈpɑˌliˌgræf

Polygraph Functions Blood Law Instrument Recording Bodily Pressure