font
1 Americannoun
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a receptacle, usually of stone, as in a baptistery or church, containing the water used in baptism.
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a receptacle for holy water; stoup.
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a productive source.
The book is a font of useful tips for travelers.
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the reservoir for oil in a lamp.
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Archaic. a fountain.
noun
noun
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a large bowl for baptismal water, usually mounted on a pedestal
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a receptacle for holy water
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the reservoir for oil in an oil lamp
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archaic a fountain or well
noun
Other Word Forms
- fontal adjective
Etymology
Origin of font1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English font, fant, from Latin font-, stem of fōns “baptismal font, spring, fountain”
Origin of font2
First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French fonte, from Vulgar Latin funditus (unrecorded) “a pouring, molding, casting,” verbal noun from Latin fundere “to pour”; found 3
Explanation
A font is the specific style of text that's printed on a page or displayed on a computer screen. It's also the name for the container that holds water used in church baptisms. When designers talk about fonts, they mean the design, size, and boldness of letters and symbols. Many people use font and typeface interchangeably, but it's more accurate to distinguish the terms. Times New Roman is a typeface, but a specific version of it, like Times New Roman bold 12pt, is a font — it specifies exactly how the text will look. The religious font has a different root, which it shares with fountain.
Vocabulary lists containing font
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
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Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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Computer Science and Technology - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One snapped a picture of the sale sign, at which point employees pointed out the date in small font.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
The latest meme appears to use an image from Pokopia, with the slogan written in a similar font to the game.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
At least she’ll always have the knowledge that up until his next marriage, Newsom kept dating women in her exact font.
From Slate • Feb. 25, 2026
“Got hemorrhoids?” read the bubbly font in the window.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025
At the baptismal font I watched a baby cry out as the priest trickled a few drops of cold water on his tiny red forehead.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
