Word
argot
Phoneticsar·got
US/ˈɑɹɡət/
UK/ˈɑːɡət/
Definition
n. the special words and phrases that a specific group of people use so that others cannot understand them.
n. the specialized vocabulary or jargon used by a particular group or social class, often to maintain secrecy or group identity.
Examples
“The thieves used a secret argot to plan their crimes.”
“To an outsider, the technical argot used by the software engineers sounded like a completely different language.”
“Linguists study how the argot of marginalized communities eventually filters into mainstream speech, losing its original function as a tool for coded communication.”
Examples
simple
“The thieves used a secret argot to plan their crimes.”
contextual
“To an outsider, the technical argot used by the software engineers sounded like a completely different language.”
complex
“Linguists study how the argot of marginalized communities eventually filters into mainstream speech, losing its original function as a tool for coded communication.”
Usage
Often used in the context of criminal subcultures or highly specialized professional groups.
Real-World Examples
“Since at least Tudor times, secret argots have been used in the underworld of prisoners, escaped slaves and criminal gangs as a way of confusing and befuddling the authorities.” “MK possesses its own argot: suburbs are “gridsquares”, cycle paths are “redways”, vertical and horizontal roads are known as V8 or H3, and the centre is CMK.” “Include argots – the characteristic language of a particular group – and that number climbs ginormously.” “Peppered with Kraftwerk song titles, and written in the capitals-free argot that suggests a mind well acquainted with online communication, it reads a bit like a poem:” Etymology
Borrowed from French argot, of unknown origin.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/argot