'argol' originates from French, specifically the word 'argol', which itself was borrowed from Medieval Latin 'argolium'.

'argol' changed from the Medieval Latin word 'argolium' into Old/French 'argol' and was later adopted into modern English as 'argol'.

Initially, it meant 'a deposit of tartar (potassium bitartrate) formed in wine casks', and this core meaning has largely been maintained into modern usage.