polygraph
/ˈpɒˌliɡˌɹæf/PO-lee-graf
/ˈpɑˌliɡˌɹæf/PAH-lee-graf
Meaningmany writings
Common meaning: a lie-detector machine
- polymuch; manyLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 658 · scan
- graphto scratch marks, hence to write or drawLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 317 · scan
‘much’ + ‘to scratch marks, hence to write or draw’ → polygraph
Journey through time
Neither part’s path through time is traced in our sources yet; each root is shown from its dictionary entry.
- poly — Ancient Greek πολύς (polús) “much; many” (dictionary form; path not traced)
- graph — Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō) “to scratch marks, hence to write or draw” (dictionary form; path not traced)
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Ancient Greek πολύς (polús) ‘much; many’ + Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō) ‘to scratch marks, hence to write or draw’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), entry γράφω (gráphō), p. 317 · dictionary scan
Roots
- γράφω (gráphō) Ancient Greek “to scratch marks, hence to write or draw”
- πολύς (polús) Ancient Greek “much; many”
Related words
autobiographyautographbibliographybiographycalligraphyepigraphethnographygeographylithographmonographorthographypalaeography
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