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ar·got

(ärgō)

A specialized vocabulary or set of idioms used by a particular group: thieves' argot.

[French, from earlier argot, underworld of beggars and thieves, of unknown origin.]

Usage Note: The pronunciation of argot as (ärgət) was long considered acceptable and has historically been included in most dictionaries. However, it is falling out of favor; in our 2005 survey, 75 percent of the Usage Panel found that pronunciation unacceptable.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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