Word of the Day

: October 23, 2007

argentiferous

adjective ar-jun-TIFF-uh-rus

What It Means

: containing silver

argentiferous in Context

The mineral galena, which is common in the Mississippi River Valley, is often argentiferous and so is sometimes mined for silver as well as for lead.

Did You Know?

If you learned basic chemistry, you might recall that the symbol for silver, "Ag," reflects the Latin name for the element, "argentum." That Latin term puts the luster in "argentiferous" and is also an ancestor of "argent," a word that was once used to refer to the metal silver and now means "the heraldic color silver or white." The country of Argentina owes its name to "argentum," as well.