1. A specialized vocabulary or set of idioms used by a particular group: "They were communicating with each other in their own argots."
2. A characteristic language of a particular group; such as, among thieves, criminals, or street gangs: "Before the fight started, the gangs were yelling out their peculiar argots or special slang terms to communicate with their fellow gang members as a kind of code."

The teen agers were confusing their teachers by using argot in their written reports."

"The British have their argot and the Americans usually have a completely different argot often resulting in a lack of understanding of the argots of the two cultures."

3. The language peculiar to members of a specialized group; especially, in an occupation; jargon: "Sometimes it can be very difficult to understand the various argots of scientists, lawyers, and medical professionals."
4. Etymology: about 1860, from French argot, "the jargon of Paris rogues and thieves"; earlier "the company of beggars"; from Middle French (the French language as written and spoken about 1400 to 1600), "a group of beggars", otherwise, the origin of the term is unknown.