Argon is an unreactive gas used to fill light bulbs. Argon gas, filled with argon, an argon atmosphere.
It fills bulbs and welding shields because it reacts with nothing, so the hot filament or the molten weld cannot burn. It is nearly one per cent of the air, which makes it far commoner than most people would guess. The Greek behind it means lazy.
1nounargonAn unreactive gas used to fill light bulbs.
“Old light bulbs were filled with argon so that the hot filament wouldn't burn away.”
argon is an element.
Greek argos means idle or lazy, named for the gas reacting with nothing.
Ancient Greek
ἀργός — idle, lazy
English, today
argon
From ᾱ̓ργός + -on. From Ancient Greek ἀργός (“idle, lazy”), because of its inertness, + -on, used for all noble gases.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA