ARGON

TileHead’s Word of the Day for 16 November 2011

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ARGON  (n. pl. -S)

Definition(s):

1. (n.) a colorless, odorless, inert gaseous element (symbol Ar), used especially in welding, radio tubes, lasers, and electric bulbs

Useful information for game players:

• Front hooks: J-
• Back hooks: -S
• Anagrams: GROAN, ORANG, ORGAN
• Longer extensions: argonAUT/S
• Wraparounds: JargonS, JargonY, JargonED, JargonEL/S, JargonEER/S, JargonING, JargonISH, JargonIST/S, JargonIZE (v.), JargonISTIC, PELargonIUM/S
• Other Spellings: (none)
• Related Forms: (none)

Epilogue:
The discoverers of ARGON noted that it does not react or combine easily with other elements, making it one of the so-called “inert” gases.  For this reason, they dubbed it ARGON — from the Greek a- (“without”) and ergon (“work”) — roughly meaning the “idle or lazy one.”

This week’s theme: Elements with interesting etymologies

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