fountain

American  

[foun-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

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

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

The most expensive pen Murrell bought - a Montblanc white gold fountain pen purchased for £4,225 - was found by officers during the search of Gordon Lamb House.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

The fountain of youth may still be little more than a pipedream, but investors looking to benefit from the longevity craze have plenty of options to get their feet wet.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

The water arrives at the valley floor under pressure and shoots out of a vertical nozzle like a "massive fountain", says Dr Suryanarayanan Balasubramanian, the founder of Acres of Ice.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026

Traditional sodas didn’t take a bigger hit than other fountain beverages, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

The only sound was the gurgle of the soda fountain.

From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis

Related Words

• geyser
• reservoir
• stream