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

See Examples For:

fountain fountains

"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

Outside Estella, where the path passed a fountain that dispensed wine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

And, notably, they eat Cane’s, whether it’s buying entire orders of just Texas toast or dunking their entire hand into a fountain cup of Cane’s Sauce and licking it off their fingers.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

The city's mayor and police chief were among dozens gathered at a local fountain for a candlelight vigil, while online fundraisers for two of the victims received tens-of-thousands of dollars in donations.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

The Gran had arrived and was standing on a floating platform at the center of the fountain, water splashing just below her feet.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

However, he would like to see more shade and drinking fountains available.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Designed to blend into the historic Baroque park, they are notable for their curved ceramic facades, daylight from skylights, accessibility features, drinking fountains -- and free use.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

This fast-moving magma could help generate dramatic lava fountains.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

Youths in custody have access to drinking fountains and operable sinks in their rooms, Waters said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

All the endless love I have for her fountains up, up, up, up.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Related Words

• geyser
• reservoir
• stream