lie detector

noun

A device designed to detect or indicate when a person is lying by measuring and recording several physiological variables.

Similar
pathometerpolygraph
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Meanings

nounlie detector (plural lie detectors)

plural lie detectors · alternative lie-detector

  1. informalA device designed to detect or indicate when a person is lying by measuring and recording several physiological variables.

    It is a lie detector; with its aid one can plumb the bottomless pits of a chap's subconscious mind, and fathom all the mysteries of his subliminal ego.

    1909, Charles Edmonds Walk, The Yellow Circle, page 69

    Synonyms: pathometer, polygraph

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA device designed to detect or indicate when a person is lying by measuring and recording several physiological variables.

Similar
pathometerpolygraph
Also see
polygraph

Origin

From lie + detector. First use appears c. 1909. See cite below.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 測謊器 /测谎器, 測謊儀 /测谎仪
  • 測謊器 /测谎器 (caak¹ fong¹ hei³)polygraph ''(informal)''
  • 測謊儀 /测谎仪 (caak¹ fong¹ ji⁴)polygraph ''(informal)''
  • 測謊機 /测谎机 (caak¹ fong¹ gei¹)polygraph ''(informal)''
Chinese Mandarin 測謊器 /测谎器, 測謊儀 /测谎仪
  • 測謊器 /测谎器 (cèhuǎngqì)polygraph ''(informal)''
  • 測謊儀 /测谎仪 (cèhuǎngyí)polygraph ''(informal)''
  • 測謊機 /测谎机 (cèhuǎngjī)polygraph ''(informal)''
Danish løgnedetektor
  • løgnedetektorpolygraph ''(informal)''
Dutch leugendetector
  • leugendetectorpolygraph ''(informal)''
Finnish valheenpaljastin
  • valheenpaljastinpolygraph ''(informal)''
French détecteur de mensonges
  • détecteur de mensongespolygraph ''(informal)''
German Lügendetektor
  • Lügendetektorpolygraph ''(informal)''
Hebrew מְכוֹנַת אֱמֶת
  • מְכוֹנַת אֱמֶת (m'chonát emét)polygraph ''(informal)''
Hungarian hazugságvizsgáló
  • hazugságvizsgálópolygraph ''(informal)''
Icelandic lygamælir
  • lygamælirpolygraph ''(informal)''
Irish brathadóir éithigh
  • brathadóir éithighpolygraph ''(informal)''
Japanese 嘘発見器
  • 嘘発見器 (uso-hakkenki)polygraph ''(informal)''
Korean 거짓말 탐지기
  • 거짓말 탐지기 (geojinmal tamjigi)polygraph ''(informal)''
Norwegian Bokmål løgndetektor
  • løgndetektorpolygraph ''(informal)''
Persian دروغسنج
  • دروغسنج (doruġ-sanj)polygraph ''(informal)''
Polish wykrywacz kłamstw
  • wykrywacz kłamstwpolygraph ''(informal)''
Portuguese detector de mentiras, polígrafo
  • detector de mentiraspolygraph ''(informal)''
  • polígrafopolygraph ''(informal)''
Russian дете́ктор лжи́, полигра́ф
  • дете́ктор лжи́ (detéktor lží)polygraph ''(informal)''
  • полигра́ф (poligráf)polygraph ''(informal)''
Swedish lögndetektor
  • lögndetektorpolygraph ''(informal)''
Turkish yalan makinesi
  • yalan makinesipolygraph ''(informal)''
Cite this entry
APA

lie detector. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lie%20detector

MLA

“lie detector.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lie%20detector. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lie detector,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lie%20detector.

Source: lie detector on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.