font

¹

[font]

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.

font

²

[font]

noun

Printing.

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

font

¹

/ 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

font

²

/ fɒnt /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• fontal adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of font¹

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

Origin of font²

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

Example Sentences

Sometimes a child might benefit from sitting near the teacher, having lighting adjusted or fonts enlarged or changed to a different color.

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Almordaah can tell the difference between knockoffs and the real thing by checking details such as font size and even smell.

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For the first time, she plans to wear jeans onstage; her merch, she points out, uses the basic Times New Roman font.

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Using the same font as the film poster, it read “Chipocalypse Now.”

Read more on Salon

The chain’s classic gold and brown logo now features the chain’s name in a more minimalistic font.

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Related Words

• fount