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

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

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

Opening credits of Warner Bros.’ 1990s sitcom “Friends,” featured the then 20-something cast members frolicking in a fountain near the center of the lot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Polymarket’s strategy leverages three groups of social-media producers to get viral attention as a fountain of fast, easy cash.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

Someone bumped into Seven from behind and nearly knocked her into the fountain, which was now lit up with a deep green glow.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

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

They spent more than $3 million transforming the fixer-upper into a home with custom details, moody interiors and four fountains that embody the charm of historic Charleston.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Sunday on “Fox & Friends” that more than 50 parks and circles have been restored and 22 fountains, along with repairs to lights on the National Mall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

Lomond MRT said that with two incidents in a week, they were advising people to drink water from known sources including bottled water and Scottish Water fountains.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

From merely stealing drinks from private fountains after dark, Boots became bolder.

From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks

Related Words

• geyser
• reservoir
• stream