| argot |
| Definition:
A jargon used by cliques, such as criminal groups, to prevent outsiders from understanding what they are saying. Note: The equivalent British term is cant. |
| Etymology: The word derives from the French argot, the jargon of Parisian rogues and thieves; in Middle French the word denoted "a group of beggars." |
| OED: The term's first citation is from 1860: "Leaves an uninviting argot in the place of warm and glowing speech." (Farrar Orig. Lang. vi. 134) |