Argot

a specialized idiomatic vocabulary peculiar to a particular cl-ss or group of people, especially that of an underworld group, devised for private communication and identification:
a restoration play rich in thieves’ argot.
the special vocabulary and idiom of a particular profession or social group:
sociologists’ argot.
contemporary examples

in the argot of the wonks and wizards of geopolitics, latin america has rarely been a game changer.
why obama’s trip will pay off mac margolis march 20, 2011

the inseparable thingumy and bob speak an argot of spoonerisms (“nake no totice” and so on), and carry a secret ruby.
tove jansson, queen of the moomins john garth august 8, 2014

heymann had little trouble adapting to the argot of the show.
kennedy fantasies andrew goldman july 23, 2009

for those unfamiliar with the argot, a “buffalo” is a “nickel” uh, five years?
prison’s cheap health-care secret mansfield frazier june 22, 2011

historical examples

i now observed, for the first time, that argot had evidently tried to disguise himself.
the house opposite elizabeth kent

“that looks good to me,” said peter, delighted that the argot fell so aptly from his lips.
the vagrant duke george gibbs

you wouldn’t understand the argot in my songs, and if you did you wouldn’t understand my being able to sing them.
sylvia & michael compton mackenzie

“it is a kind of argot which belongs only to americans,” i answered in an undertone.
esmeralda frances hodgson burnett

i shouted, as argot (for it was indeed he) tried to fire over his shoulder.
the house opposite elizabeth kent

for it was all refinement at the beginning, and wandered off into argot that was the very reverse.
the mynns’ mystery george manville fenn

noun
slang or jargon peculiar to a particular group, esp (formerly) a group of thieves
n.

1860, from french argot (17c.) “the jargon of paris rogues and thieves,” earlier “the company of beggars,” from middle french argot, “group of beggars,” origin unknown. gamillscheg suggests a connection to old french argoter “to cut off the stubs left in pruning,” with a connecting sense of “to get a grip on.” the best english equivalent is perhaps cant. the german equivalent is rotwelsch, literally “red welsh,” but the first element may be connected with middle high german rot “beggar.” earlier in english was pedlar’s french (1520s) “language of thieves and vagabonds.”