4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Argument  \Ar"gu*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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Argument  \Ar"gu*ment\  ([a^]r"g[-u]*ment),  v.  i.  [L. 
  argumentari.] 
  To  make  an  argument;  to  argue.  [Obs.]  --Gower. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  argument 
  n  1:  a  fact  or  assertion  offered  as  evidence  that  something  is 
  true;  "it  was  a  strong  argument  that  his  hypothesis  was 
  true"  [syn:  {statement}] 
  2:  a  dispute  where  there  is  strong  disagreement;  "they  were 
  involved  in  a  violent  argument"  [syn:  {controversy},  {contention}, 
  {contestation},  {tilt},  {arguing}] 
  3:  a  discussion  in  which  reasons  are  advanced  for  and  against 
  some  proposition  or  proposal;  "the  argument  over  foreign 
  aid  goes  on  and  on"  [syn:  {debate}] 
  4:  a  summary  of  the  subject  or  plot  of  a  literary  work  or  play 
  or  movie;  "the  editor  added  the  argument  to  the  poem" 
  [syn:  {literary  argument}] 
  5:  a  variable  in  a  logical  or  mathematical  expression  whose 
  value  determines  the  dependent  variable;  if  f(x)=y,  x  is 
  the  independent  variable  [syn:  {independent  variable}] 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  argument 
 
    ("arg"  or  parameter)  A  value  or  reference  passed 
  to  a  {function},  {procedure},  {subroutine},  command  or 
  program,  by  the  caller.  For  example,  in  the  function: 
 
  square(x)  =  x  *  x 
 
  x  is  the  {formal  argument}  and  in  the  call 
 
  y  =  square(3+3) 
 
  3+3  is  the  {actual  argument}.  This  will  execute  the  function 
  square  with  x  having  the  value  6. 
 
  There  are  many  different  conventions  for  passing  arguments  to 
  functions  and  procedures  including  {call-by-value}, 
  {call-by-name},  {call-by-need}.  These  affect  whether  the 
  value  of  the  argument  is  computed  by  the  caller  or  the  callee 
  (the  function)  and  whether  the  callee  can  modify  the  value  of 
  the  argument  as  seen  by  the  caller  (if  it  is  a  variable). 
 
  Arguments  to  a  program  are  usually  given  after  the  command 
  name  separated  by  spaces,  e.g.: 
 
  cat  myfile  yourfile  hisfile 
 
  Here  cat"  is  the  command  and  "myfile",  "yourfile",  and 
  hisfile"  are  the  arguments. 
 
  (1995-01-24) 
 
 

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