font

¹ American  

[font] / fɒnt /

noun

1. a receptacle, usually of stone, as in a baptistery or church, containing the water used in baptism.

2. a receptacle for holy water; stoup.

3. a productive source.

   The book is a font of useful tips for travelers.

4. the reservoir for oil in a lamp.

5. Archaic. a fountain.

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font ² American  

[font] / fɒnt /

noun

Printing.

1. a complete assortment of type of one style and size.

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font ¹ British  

/ fɒnt /

noun

1. 1. a large bowl for baptismal water, usually mounted on a pedestal

   2. a receptacle for holy water

2. the reservoir for oil in an oil lamp

3. archaic a fountain or well

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font ² British  

/ fɒnt /

noun

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

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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

Example Sentences

The font was also different to the official logo.

From BBC

Strips of text spelling “freestyle,” “defects” and “willpower”—each in a unique color and font—span one corner.

From The Wall Street Journal

While you’re in there, go ahead and adjust font size and boldness.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Got hemorrhoids?” read the bubbly font in the window.

From The Wall Street Journal

Another banner year at the Celebrity Memoir Factory — a seemingly bottomless font of origin stories, trauma dumps and D-list confessions.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fount