argot

[ ahr-goh, -guht ]

noun

1. a specialized idiomatic vocabulary peculiar to a particular class or group of people, especially that of an underworld group, devised for private communication and identification:

   a Restoration play rich in thieves' argot.

2. the special vocabulary and idiom of a particular profession or social group:

   sociologists' argot.

argot

/ ɑːˈɡɒtɪk; ˈɑːɡəʊ /

noun

1. slang or jargon peculiar to a particular group, esp (formerly) a group of thieves

Derived Forms

• argotic, adjective

Other Words From

• ar·got·ic [ahr-, got, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of argot¹

1855–60; < French, noun derivative of argoter to quarrel, derivative Latin ergō ergo with v. suffix -oter

Word History and Origins

Origin of argot¹

C19: from French, of unknown origin

Example Sentences

It’s irresponsible — or “extreme” in the colloquial argot of politics these days — to falsely shout, “Fire!” in a crowded theater.

From Los Angeles Times

“Luxuriates in language. Everett, like Twain, is a master of American argot. … This is Everett’s most thrilling novel, but also his most soulful.”

From New York Times

That means seeking them out where they are and speaking in their argot.

From New York Times

That is Burning Man argot for rubbish, short for “matter out of place”: a galaxy of jetsam scattered across the muddy alkali flats, after torrential rains temporarily stranded tens of thousands of people at the annual revelry of art and music.

From New York Times

Mr. Trump not only suggested that Mr. DeSantis was an “establishment globalist” but called him “DeSanctis,” which in Mr. Trump’s argot is short for the demeaning nickname DeSanctimonious and is so well-known that most attendees clearly got the reference.

From New York Times

Related Words

• lingo
• parlance
• patois
• vernacular