Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Argument

Ar′gu·ment (·ment), n. [F. argument, L. argumentum, fr. arguere to argue.] 1. Proof; evidence. [Obs.]

There is.. no more palpable and convincing argument of the existence of a Deity. Ray.

Why, then, is it made a badge of wit and an argument of parts for a man to commence atheist, and to cast off all belief of providence, all awe and reverence for religion? South.

2. A reason or reasons offered in proof, to induce belief, or convince the mind; reasoning expressed in words; as, an argument about, concerning, or regarding a proposition, for or in favor of it, or against it.

3. A process of reasoning, or a controversy made up of rational proofs; argumentation; discussion; disputation.

The argument is about things, but names. Locke.

4. The subject matter of a discourse, writing, or artistic representation; theme or topic; also, an abstract or summary, as of the contents of a book, chapter, poem.

You and love are still my argument. Shak.

The abstract or argument of the piece. Jeffrey.

[Shields] with boastful argument portrayed. Milton.

5. Matter for question; business in hand. [Obs.]

Sheathed their swords for lack of argument. Shak.

6. (Astron.) The quantity on which another quantity in a table depends; as, the altitude is the argument of the refraction.

7. (Math.) The independent variable upon whose value that of a function depends. Brande & C.

Ar′gu·ment (ăr′gū·ment), v. i. [L. argumentari.] To make an argument; to argue. [Obs.] Gower.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty. Of the others, 1,362 (a word or a single letter each) were inferred by AI from the context by the dictionary’s own rules and are marked with a wavy underline (tap or point at one to see the note); the rest, which could not be inferred with confidence, are left as “?”.