argent

¹

[ahr-juhnt]

noun

1. Heraldry.,  the tincture or metal silver.

2. Archaic.

   1. silver.

   2. something silvery or white.

3. Obsolete.,  money.

adjective

1. like silver; silvery white.

2. Heraldry.,  of the tincture or metal silver.

   a lion argent.

argent-

²

Also argenti-.

1. variant of argento-, especially before a vowel.

argent

/ ˈɑːdʒənt /

noun

1. 1. an archaic or poetic word for silver

   2. ( as adjective; often postpositive, esp in heraldry )

      a bend argent

Word History and Origins

Origin of argent¹

1400–50; late Middle English argentum < Latin: silver, money

Word History and Origins

Origin of argent¹

C15: from Old French, from Latin

Example Sentences

There is cheese by the pound, from Wisconsin or France; meat cured in house; fish like the best of Russ & Daughters: herring, salmon belly salad, anchovies slippery and argent.

From Salon

I half-expect him to leave a trail of argent, fading light in his wake, like a lightning bug.

From The New Yorker

Lancelot, who did not care for gaudy things, wore a few heron’s hackles bound with silver thread, which suited the argent of his shield.

From Literature

My father is known for his argent hair.

From Salon

Modern heraldic writers would give the sentence as “Sable, on a bend or between two horses’ heads erased argent, three fleurs-de-lys of the first.”

From Project Gutenberg

When To Use

What does argent- mean?

Argent- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “silver.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in chemistry.Argent- comes from 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 argent-?Argent- is a variant of argento-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on argento-.A rare variant of argent- is argenti-, as in argentiferous.