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Brit. /p
l
grfi/, /p
lgrfi/, U.S. /plgrfi/ Forms: 15- polygraphy, 17 poligraphy. [< post-classical Latin polygraphia, poligraphia code or cipher (1518 in the title of J. Trithemius Poligraphiae libri VI), fact of writing much (a1536 in Erasmus) < Hellenistic Greek 
fact of writing much < 
(adjective) writing much (see POLYGRAPH n.) + ancient Greek - -Y suffix3. In sense 4 independently < POLYGRAPH n. (see sense 3 at that entry) + -Y suffix3. Compare Middle French, French polygraphie book dealing with various subjects (1553; now obsolete in this sense), art of writing in codes or ciphers, also of deciphering (1611; now obsolete in this sense), Italian poligrafia (a1686 in sense ‘fact of writing much’; now only in sense 3b (20th cent. in this sense)). Compare earlier POLYGRAPHER n., POLYGRAPHICAL adj.]
1. A code or cipher; the action or practice of creating, writing, or deciphering such a code. Now freq. hist.
The word may refer either to a code which encrypts a message in order to keep it secret (cf. STEGANOGRAPHY n.) or to one intended to enable speakers of different languages to communicate (cf. PASIGRAPHY n.). In quot. 1747: a name given by Aulay Macaulay to his system of shorthand.
1593 R. HARVEY Philadelphus 56 The Histories were written in some strange kind of polygraphy and steganography.
1621 R. BURTON Anat. Melancholy III II.
II. v. 591 Such occult notes,..Polygraphy, cunning conuayances in this kinde.
1654 J. WEBSTER Acad. Examen 24 Are the wonderful and stupendious effects that Polygraphy, or Steganography produce to be omitted or neglected?
1728 E. CHAMBERS Cycl.,
Polygraphy, the Art of writing in various unusual, Manners or Cyphers; as also of decyphering the same... The Word is usually confounded with Steganography and Cryptography.
1747 A. MACAULAY (
title) Polygraphy; or Short-Hand made easy..Being an universal character fitted to all Languages.
1855 Chambers's Jrnl. 4 134/2 These decipherers gave the high-sounding names of Cryptography, Cryptology, Polygraphy, and Steganography, to their art.
1968 M. P
EI One Lang. for World xvi. 141 The idea of polygraphy..whereby ideas might be reduced to a system of writing comprehensible to people of different speeches, is a very ancient one.
1996 J. F
ENTRESS tr. U. Eco
Search Perfect Lang. ix. 197 [Kircher] celebrated polygraphy as ‘all languages reduced to one’.
2. Copious writing or literary work; literary productiveness; (also) writing dealing with many subjects. Now rare.
a1661 T. FULLER Worthies (1662) Cambr. 158 One considering his Polygraphy, said merrily, that he must write whilst he slept, it being unpossible that he should do so much when waking.
1831 Fraser's Mag. 3 715 Even Sir Walter Scott, with all his multifarious
polygraphy
what is he beside the goodly
Summa Theologiæ of Thomas Aquinas?
1890 Sat. Rev. 22 Nov. 602/2 It has been too much the fashion to dismiss his wonderful ‘polygraphy’, his miscellaneous journalism.
1922 Jrnl. Philos. 19 420 He..asks ‘Why do you write so much?’ May I answer for my part that it was this polygraphy..which has enabled me to undertake the very task which Dr. Hunter was anxious to have performed.
1951 R. A. HALL Short Hist. Ital. Lit. VI. xvii. 308 Another author whose wideranging writings are raised above the level of mere polygraphy by his culture and ability.
3. 
a. = POLYGRAPH n. 2. Obs.
1705 J. DUNTON Life & Errors iv. 239 [Ridpath] invented The Polygraphy, or Writing Engin by which one may with great facility, write Two, Four, Six, or more Copies of any one thing upon so many different Sheets of Paper at once.
b. The action or practice of using a mechanical or chemical process to produce copies of pictures, writing, etc. Cf. POLYGRAPH n. 2.
?1787 J. B
OOTH Addr Polygraphic Art 13 The invention of Polygraphy encourages a genius for painting.
1828 WEBSTER Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang.,
Polygraphic, Polygraphical, pertaining to polygraphy, as a polygraphic instrument.
1886 Encycl. Dict.,
Polygraphy... 3. The art of making a number of drawings or writings simultaneously.
1946 W. M. M
ANDEL Guide Soviet Union IV. xxii. 289 OGIZ plans the output of books and magazines... It is responsible for the stimulation of invention in the field of polygraphy.
2001 A. P
ETRUCCI & B. Q
UINTIERI in S. W. Arndt & H. Kierzkowski
Fragmentation x. 193 (
caption) Polygraphy, publishing, and cinematography.
4. The use of a polygraph (POLYGRAPH n. 3) to record several physiological characteristics simultaneously; the interpretation of data from a polygraph.
1923 W. D. R
EID Heart in Mod. Pract. iii. 63 Polygraph tracings are also taken from the apex of the heart, the carotid artery, and over the liver, but their importance does not warrant description in this limited presentation of polygraphy.
1954 Reporter (
N.Y.
)
22 June 22/2 The most acute current problem in polygraphy..is how to set and maintain professional standards.
1973 Biomed. Engin. 8 155/3 To readers outside of the field of polygraphy, it will perhaps seem remarkable that electronic recording is not used for all three channels and that other physiological events are not recorded routinely.
1992 Industr. & Labor Relations Rev. 45 608/1 Whereas polygraphy may indeed be fading from the employment scene, another controversial investigative
technologytesting for drug
useis making inroads.
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