argento-

1. a combining form meaning “silver,” used in the formation of compound words:

   argento-cuprous sulfide.

Word History and Origins

Origin of argento-¹

< Latin argent ( um ) + -o-

Example Sentences

I’ve sometimes wondered as much while watching Dario Argento’s “Suspiria,” suffused with shades of color that have never been matched, or when I soak in the ice-water-crisp compositions of John Carpenter.

From Los Angeles Times

This was surreal and frightening, a fascist spectacle right out of Mussolini’s Italy and a Dario Argento Italian horror movie.

From Salon

Even so, it’s a welcome break in tone and topic after Guadagnino’s Grand Guignol adventures in “Suspiria,” a take on a Dario Argento horror film, and “Bones and All,” about two pretty cannibals hungrily and moodily adrift.

From New York Times

The movie is set in the seething, hippified Rome of 1971, a shaggy backdrop straight out of Federico Fellini’s Roma or, more aptly, Dario Argento’s post-Manson masterworks The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Four Flies on Grey Velvet.

From Los Angeles Times

There are sidebars of films from the fringe auteurs like Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Andy Milligan and Penelope Spheeris.

From New York Times

Words That Use argento-

What does argento- mean?

Argento- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “silver.” It is very occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in chemistry.

Argento- comes from the Latin argentum, meaning “silver.” The name of the South American country of Argentina ultimately comes from this same Latin word. Find out how at our entry for Argentina. The Greek cognate of argentum is árgyros, the source of argyria, a gray discoloration of the skin that results from silver deposits.

What are variants of argento-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, argento- becomes argent-, as in argentite. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on argent-.

A rare variant of argento- is argenti-, as in argentiferous.

Examples of argento-

One example of a scientific term that features the form argento- is argentophil, also known as argyrophil, “of or relating to tissue elements capable of impregnation with silver salts and of being made visible through the use of a reducing agent.” Essentially, these are cells that react to silver.

The form argento- means “silver,” while the combining form -phil is a variant of -phile, meaning “lover of, enthusiast for,” from Greek philos. Argentophil literally translates to “lover of silver.”

What are some words that use the combining form argento-?

• argentocracy
• argentometer

What are some other forms that argento- may be commonly confused with?

• arche-
• aristo-
• arsen-
• arseno-

Break it down!

The combining form -meter means “measure” and is used in the names of measuring instruments. With this in mind, what is the scientific instrument known as an argentometer used for?