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

On that last track, recorded a dozen years ago, Mr. Lloyd, playing alto sax, seems like a fountain, distilling fragments of songs and scales into a narrative that spills forth in graceful gushes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

The ceramic work in other bathrooms is calmer, but the backyard amps the look with the pool’s fountain and spa.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Patel’s vague statement, meanwhile, gave conspiracists just enough oxygen to turn a medically explainable death into a fountain of paranoia.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 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

But as Christopher leaped over the fountain edge, the creature’s wings began to shake.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

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

Expanding on the "grim start" to travelling families, it writes, "drinking fountains were out of action", "there were queues for toilets, which could not be flushed" and "crowds were forced to sit on the floor".

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

To keep its workforce supplied, UPS says it has given staff more than 100,000 water jugs and installed 3,000 ice machines and 2,000 water fountains in its facilities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

We were convulsed with hysterics at the thought of our hippie asking Mr. Kasigi to convert the water fountains to Gatorade, and to erect a bullfighting stadium in the parking lot.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• geyser
• reservoir
• stream