fount

¹

[ fount ]

noun

1. a spring of water; fountain.
2. a source or origin:

   a fount of inspiration to his congregation.

fount

²

[ fount, font ]

noun

, British Printing.

1. font ².

fount

¹

/ faʊnt; fɒnt /

noun

1. printing another word for font 2

fount

²

/ faʊnt /

noun

1. poetic.
   a spring or fountain
2. source or origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of fount¹

First recorded in 1585–95; short for fountain

Word History and Origins

Origin of fount¹

C16: from Old French fonte a founding, casting, from Vulgar Latin funditus (unattested) a casting, from Latin fundere to melt; see found ³

Origin of fount²

C16: back formation from fountain

Example Sentences

If Mottley is the decisive leader, Persaud is the fount of possible solutions, churning out or delving into economic innovations he thinks might save the world.

From ProPublica

The original creators, as wonderful as they were, we didn’t have that fount of information.

From Time

The Senate in recent years has been known more as a legislative bottleneck than a fount of achievement.

From Time

The Vatican Bank, a fount of scandal for 40 years, is being investigated for money laundering.

From The Daily Beast

My sister was my subject and a brutally unending fount of feeling.

From The Daily Beast

Republicans treat government as the source of most collective ills, Democrats as the fount of most collective benefits.

From The Daily Beast

O for a soda-fount spouting up boldlyFrom every hot lamp-post against the hot sky!

From Project Gutenberg

Now armed mobs fought around the temple each day and a new band of priests guarded the sacred fount.

From Project Gutenberg

But the fount of inspiration, the source of temporary elation and strength, had not been exhausted by Prometheus.

From Project Gutenberg

He opened the fount of Castalia, hidden by wild branches, and cleared the grove of laurels of thorns.

From Project Gutenberg

Mayo had been a man of the open—of wide horizons, drinking from the fount of all the air under the heavens.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• wellspring