fountain

American  

[faun-tn] / ˈfaʊn tn /

noun

• fountains
  plural

1. a spring or source of water; the source or head of a stream.

2. the source or origin of anything.

   Synonyms:

   wellspring, genesis, cradle, birthplace

3. a jet or stream of water (or other liquid) made by mechanical means to spout or rise from an opening or structure, as to afford water for use, to cool the air, or to serve for ornament.

4. a structure for discharging such a jet or a number of jets, often an elaborate or artistic work with basins, sculptures, etc.

5. drinking fountain.

6. soda fountain.

7. a reservoir for a liquid to be supplied gradually or continuously, as in a fountain pen.

8. Heraldry. a roundel barry-wavy, argent and azure.

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fountain British  

/ ˈfaʊntɪn /

noun

1. a jet or spray of water or some other liquid

2. a structure from which such a jet or a number of such jets spurt, often incorporating figures, basins, etc

3. a natural spring of water, esp the source of a stream

4. a stream, jet, or cascade of sparks, lava, etc

5. a principal source or origin

6. a reservoir or supply chamber, as for oil in a lamp

7. short for drinking fountain soda fountain

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fountain-like
  adjective
• fountained
  adjective
• fountainless
  adjective
• fountainlike
  adjective
• unfountained
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fountains
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of fountain

1375–1425; late Middle English fontayne < Old French fontaine < Late Latin fontāna, noun use of feminine of Latin fontānus of a spring, equivalent to font- (stem of fons ) spring + -ānus -an

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Explanation

A fountain is a decorative structure that shoots streams of water into the air. You might see a big fountain in front of a museum, or install a small one in your back yard. You can use the noun fountain any time you talk about a shooting flow of water, whether it's a deliberate, artificial piece of architecture or an accidental fountain caused by the faucet in your kitchen sink breaking suddenly, sending a fountain of water into the air. The earliest, fifteenth century meaning of fountain was "spring of water that collects in a pool," from the Latin root word fons, "spring of water."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fountain fountains

“They’re being flooded with perimenopausal information and they’re trying to find the fountain of youth in an injectable form,” he said, adding that “longevity and fertility are inextricably linked.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Following the show — billowing shapes, punk-y hair sculptures, all classically Collina — we walked into a whimsical picnic complete with a margarita fountain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

The fountain opened in 2004 in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales who died nearly seven years earlier.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

"Here the buildings are destroyed, not pretty. Here, it seems, there's a fountain, but on the other side there's a ruined building," said Dezhyna, who works for the local admimistration.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

A large piece of graphed paper containing a design for an outdoor space: a fountain in the middle and pebble pathways spoking out from it.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

From there, doors lead outside to a patio surrounded by fountains, allowing the indoor living areas to flow directly into the grounds.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

But Mr. Steele believes an honest conversation would acknowledge the real progress America has made since the days when schools and water fountains were segregated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Skopje is a city of statues, two or three hundred of them apparently, great big things in squares and in fountains commemorating tsars and dames, emperors and warriors, royalty and revolutionaries.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Outside, fountains and gardens surround a tennis court and 60-foot tiled pool.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

Palace-lined streets, parks and fountains, spires and towers—all were labeled in neat and legible handwriting.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

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