Relating to or containing silver in the +1 oxidation state (as opposed to argentic with +3 state).
From Latin argentum (silver) + -ous (adjective suffix). This chemistry term distinguishes different oxidation states of silver, developed as chemistry's understanding of electron behavior matured in the 19th century.
Argentous versus argentic might sound like chemistry jargon, but it's actually about how many electrons silver has lost—different electron counts make totally different chemicals with different properties and uses.
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