lie detector

noun

1. a polygraph used to determine changes in certain body activities, as blood pressure, pulse, breathing, and perspiration, the results of which may be interpreted to indicate the truth or falsity of a person's answers under questioning.

lie detector

noun

1. a polygraph used esp by a police interrogator to detect false or devious answers to questions, a sudden change in one or more involuntary physiological responses being considered a manifestation of guilt, fear, etc See polygraph galvanic skin response

Word History and Origins

Origin of lie detector¹

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Example Sentences

Mudryk's legal team and those in his tight-knit circle insist he did not knowingly ingest any banned substance, and multiple sources claim he has passed an unverified lie detector test attesting to that.

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In the “Materialists” press tour, Johnson is more freely magnetic, sitting for another “Vanity Fair” lie detector test and answering cheeky, rapid-fire questions with her co-star, Pedro Pascal, for “Vogue.”

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She said a Combs aide administered a lie detector test to her.

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Although they dress like nuns styled by Jean Paul Gaultier and hold titles like Reverend Mother, they adhere to a regimen of martial arts training and learn how to be living lie detectors.

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Employees in the DEA’s polygraph unit, which vets prospective agents, reported being pressured to pass candidates after they failed a lie detector test, report says.

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