wellspring

American  

[wel-spring] / ˈwɛlˌsprɪŋ /

noun

1. the head or source of a spring, stream, river, etc.; fountainhead.

2. a source or supply of anything, especially when considered inexhaustible.

   a wellspring of affection.

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wellspring British  

/ ˈwɛlˌsprɪŋ /

noun

1. the source of a spring or stream; fountainhead

2. a source of continual or abundant supply

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Etymology

Origin of wellspring

First recorded before 900; Middle English welle spring, Old English wyllspring(e); well ², spring

Example Sentences

Elected officials from across the nation are drawn to California because of its wellspring of wealthy political donors.

From Los Angeles Times

The everyday tools of the kitchen can be connected to powerful memories and wellsprings of feeling.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Make no mistake, Erivo remains a powerhouse, with pipes that shake the heavens and a wellspring of unforced emotional intensity that never runs dry."

From BBC

Angela’s vivid mood swings are a wellspring of entertainment; Tommy associates her phone number with an orchestral ringtone that sounds like a horror movie jump scare.

From Salon

The 18th-century cult of reason met its match in the 19th century’s devotion to feeling—including suffering—as the wellspring of life and truth.

From The Wall Street Journal