Home North American English argentine

Main definitions of argentine in US English:

: argentine1Argentine2

argentine1

adjective

archaic

  • Of or resembling silver.

    ‘the argentine domes of our main course arrived’
    • ‘Visible even from a distance, its argentine spires punctured the horizon with needles of light, whilst its great walls reflected the rays of the rising sun.’

noun

  • A small marine fish with a silvery sheen.

    Family Argentinidae: two genera and several species, in particular Argentina silus of the North Atlantic

    • ‘A number of the deepwater species on the existing list, ling, argentines and Greenland halibut have been transferred to the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and quotas regulation.’
    • ‘The Atlantic argentine (Argentina silus) is found from the Arctic waters of Davis Strait south to Labrador, as well as in other areas of the North Atlantic.’
    • ‘They are small fishes, growing up to 25 cm long, excepting the Greater argentine, Argentina silus, which reaches 70 cm.’

Origin

Late Middle English: from Old French argentin, argentine, from argent ‘silver’, from Latin argentum.

Pronunciation

Main definitions of argentine in US English:

: argentine1Argentine2

Argentine2

adjective

  • Relating to Argentina or its people.

    • ‘The disc is breezy and refreshing, and reveals an utterly new side to the Argentine soul.’
    • ‘His version of Argentine history always adopts the silenced viewpoint of the oppressed.’
    • ‘Uruguay might also import Argentine grain to fatten steers.’
    • ‘He cleverly weaves several themes from the opera together with elements of Argentine folk music.’
    • ‘The painter Cabrera was the first to depict Argentine historical subjects.’

noun

  • 1A native or inhabitant of Argentina, or a person of Argentine descent.

    • ‘As a fellow Argentine, the director is proud to be associated with Casares, and he pays suitable tribute to his inspiration.’
    • ‘Lange was an Argentine, but she came from a Norwegian family.’
    • ‘The "rich as an Argentine" sons of fine families introduced the tango to Paris on their grand tours of Europe.’
    • ‘He could always get somebody to explain if he had to talk business with an Argentine who did not speak English.’
    • ‘A temperamental Plexiglas piece by Argentine Martha Boto was still being tinkered into operation on the day of the opening.’

  • 2the Argentine

    another name for Argentina
    • ‘No one speaks of going to live in the Argentine.’
    • ‘Almost everybody from Mexico to the Argentine eats armadillo.’
    • ‘It is a fruit of the Argentine which according to Emerson possesses remarkable qualities.’
    • ‘He heads back to the Argentine to complete work on a dam.’
    • ‘He was born near Buenos Aires, the son of poor American parents of English descent who had moved to the Argentine to farm.’

Pronunciation