English Reference

Word

argon

Phoneticsar·gon

US/ˈɑɹˌɡɑn/

UK/ˈɑːɡɒn/

Definition

n. a colorless, odorless gas that is part of the air we breathe. It is used in things like light bulbs and to keep food fresh in packages.

n. a colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas occurring in the Earth's atmosphere. It is chemically inert and is used in various industrial applications including lighting and food preservation.

Examples

“Argon is used to fill the glass tubes in old light bulbs.”

“Because argon is chemically inert and does not react with other elements, it serves as an ideal protective atmosphere for high-precision manufacturing processes.”

Examples

simple

“Argon is used to fill the glass tubes in old light bulbs.”

complex

“Because argon is chemically inert and does not react with other elements, it serves as an ideal protective atmosphere for high-precision manufacturing processes.”

Real-World Examples

“To achieve this, the researchers used a cooling cross-section polisher (CCP), which employs an argon (Ar) ion beam to precisely polish sample cross sections.”
Phys.org · 7 Sept 2026

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀργός (argós, “idle, lazy”), because of its inertness, + -on, used for all noble gases.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference