Relating to or containing silver, especially in chemical compounds where silver takes specific oxidation states.
From Latin 'argentum' (silver) + '-ic' (adjective suffix indicating relation). This suffix usually indicates silver in a higher oxidation state compared to '-ous' forms.
The '-ic' versus '-ous' distinction in chemistry is a brilliant system—'argentic' vs 'argentous' tells chemists the electron configuration at a glance, preventing dangerous mistakes.
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