font

[ font ]

See synonyms for font on Thesaurus.com

noun

a receptacle, usually of stone, as in a baptistery or church, containing the water used in baptism.
a receptacle for holy water; stoup.

a productive source: The book is a font of useful tips for travelers.
the reservoir for oil in a lamp.
Archaic. a fountain.

Origin of font

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English font, fant, from Latin font-, stem of fōns “baptismal font, spring, fountain”

Other definitions for font (2 of 2)

font²

[ font ]

nounPrinting.

a complete assortment of type of one style and size.

Origin of font

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”; see found³

Also British, fount.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use font in a sentence

Across China, there are red banners printed with white fonts that say ai guo—love your country, be patriotic.
Chinese Tourists Are Taking Hong Kong Protest Selfies | Brendon Hong | October 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Jobs liked typefaces and he thought computer users should have a choice of fonts for what they wrote.
Mad About Fonts | Malcolm Jones | October 4, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
In the original work the Headers were printed in various decorative fonts not replicated in this e-text.
History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America | John Kerr Tiffany
Questions as to fonts of type, width of margins, disposition of title-pages, tint and texture of bindings really do interest him.
When Winter Comes to Main Street | Grant Martin Overton
Some viewers may require user assistance to find fonts containing these characters.
William Oughtred | Florian Cajori

However, these two characters are not supported by many common fonts; so images have been substituted for the Unicode characters.
The English Village Community | Frederic Seebohm
The old fonts were baths, and in progress of time they grew less and less, and at last a basin of water only was used.
Curiosities of Christian History | Croake James

British Dictionary definitions for font (1 of 2)

font¹

/ (fɒnt) /

noun

- a large bowl for baptismal water, usually mounted on a pedestal
- a receptacle for holy water
the reservoir for oil in an oil lamp

archaic, or poetic a fountain or well

Origin of font

Old English, from Church Latin fons, from Latin: fountain

Derived forms of font

fontal, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for font (2 of 2)

font²

/ (fɒnt) /

noun

printing a complete set of type of one style and size: Also called: fount

Origin of font

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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