wellspring

[wel-spring]

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.

wellspring

/ ˈwɛlˌsprɪŋ /

noun

1. the source of a spring or stream; fountainhead

2. a source of continual or abundant supply

Word History and Origins

Origin of wellspring¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of wellspring¹

Old English welspryng, wylspring; see _well ², _spring

Example Sentences

It is, and has been since its founding about a century ago, the ideological wellspring of modern Sunni Islamism.

From Los Angeles Times

The wellspring of this geyser of asininity is the simple fact that Trump doesn’t understand how trade works.

From Los Angeles Times

Pioneers of the sport, firmly planted in the wellspring of 19th-century Scotland, are given their due.

From Los Angeles Times

“In these remarkable players, I have found both a profound wellspring of generosity, and a visionary commitment to excellence in music-making.”

From Los Angeles Times

The weight of that history — at a school known both for its wellspring of quarterbacks and lineage of Polynesian stars — hasn’t been lost on Maiava, who called it “a blessing and a privilege.”

From Los Angeles Times