fountain

1 of 2

noun

foun·​tain ˈfau̇n-tᵊn 

1

: the source from which something proceeds or is supplied

2

: a spring of water issuing from the earth

3

: an artificially produced jet of water

also : the structure from which it rises

4

: a reservoir containing a liquid that can be drawn off as needed

5

: soda fountain sense 2

fountain

2 of 2

verb

fountained; fountaining; fountains

intransitive verb

: to flow or spout like a fountain

transitive verb

: to cause to flow like a fountain

Synonyms

Noun

• cradle
• font
• fountainhead
• origin
• root
• seedbed
• source
• spring
• well
• wellspring

Examples of fountain in a Sentence

Noun

The crowd gathered around the fountain in the plaza.

an endless fountain of inspiration

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The shapes were synchronized to the catchy tunes from the movie as well as the fountains that dance in the lagoon at the foot of the Burj Khalifa. —Caroline Reid, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024

And to do so, the city has been a worksite of beautification, restoration, and infrastructure projects, including upgrading piazzas, cleaning historic fountains and bridges (including the famed Trevi Fountain), building parking structures, and adding more buses to its fleet. —Erica Firpo, AFAR Media, 20 Dec. 2024

Verb

Rather than volcanic eruptions from a central peak, volcanoes of the Reykjanes often fountain from these fissures, creating floods of molten rock that look a bit like tiger stripes on a map. —Maya Wei-Haas, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024

Tucked between the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library and City Hall, Mineral Well Plaza will feature a 40-foot-tall clock tower and fountain with sculptures of lion heads, seating areas and landscaping. —Dallas News, 15 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French funtaine, fontaine, from Late Latin fontana, from Latin, feminine of fontanus of a spring, from font-, fons

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1903, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing fountain

• drinking fountain
• fountain grass
• fountain of youth
• fountain pen
• soda fountain
• water fountain

Kids Definition

fountain

noun

foun·​tain

ˈfau̇nt-ᵊn

1

: a spring of water coming from the earth

2

: the source from which something comes

a fountain of knowledge

3

: an artificial stream or spray of water (as for drinking or ornament)

also : the device from which such a stream or spray rises

Etymology

Noun

Middle English fountain "fountain," from early French funtaine (same meaning), derived from Latin font-, fons "fountain, spring" — related to font entry 1