Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 29, 2026 is argot. Argot is defined as the language or specific set of words used by a particular group of people. This specialized vocabulary allows members of a group to communicate within their community. An example illustrates how fans adopted the secret argot of characters from a successful novel series. Comedian Lenny Bruce employed a Beatnik argot in his act, which was performed in jazz clubs. This distinctive language added a unique flavor to his improvisational style. English acquired the word argot from French in the early 19th century. At that time, English already possessed words like "jargon" and "lingo" that covered similar meanings. Jargon, derived from a word meaning "twittering of birds," denoted specialized vocabulary. Lingo, from the Latin for "language," was used to describe specialized speech, such as legalese. The suffix -ese also emerged as a distinct way to indicate specialized argot, with early examples including golfese.