Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An artificially created jet or stream of water.
  • noun A structure, often decorative, from which a jet or stream of water issues.
  • noun A spring, especially the source of a stream.
  • noun A reservoir or chamber containing a supply of liquid that can be siphoned off as needed.
  • noun A soda fountain.
  • noun A drinking fountain.
  • noun A point of origin or dissemination; a source.
  • intransitive & transitive verb To flow or cause to flow like a fountain.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A fountain-shell or watering-pot shell; any shell of the genus Aspergillum.
  • noun A natural spring or source of water; the source or head of a stream.
  • noun An artificial basin or tank for receiving a flow of living water, from which it may be drawn for any use, or from which by the force of its own pressure it may rise or spout through orifices in jets or showers.
  • noun Origin; first source; cause.
  • noun In her.: A roundel, barry wavy of six argent and azure, or more rarely having a greater number of barrulets.
  • noun The representation of an ordinary architectural fountain with basin, etc.
  • noun A tin-lined copper holder used in transporting aërated waters, or the combination of ornamental faucets and syrup-holders from which such” waters are drawn; a soda-fountain.
  • noun The ink-holder of a printing-press.
  • noun The supply-chamber of a fountain-pen or of a fountain-inkstand, or the reservoir for oil in certain kinds of lamps, etc.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A spring of water issuing from the earth.
  • noun An artificially produced jet or stream of water; also, the structure or works in which such a jet or stream rises or flows; a basin built and constantly supplied with pure water for drinking and other useful purposes, or for ornament.
  • noun A reservoir or chamber to contain a liquid which can be conducted or drawn off as needed for use
  • noun The source from which anything proceeds, or from which anything is supplied continuously; origin; source.
  • noun See under Air.
  • noun primary source; original; first principle.
  • noun an inkstand having a continual supply of ink, as from elevated reservoir.
  • noun a lamp fed with oil from an elevated reservoir.
  • noun a pen with a reservoir in the handle which furnishes a supply of ink.
  • noun A portable garden pump which throws a jet, for watering plants, etc.
  • noun (Zoöl.) the large West Indian conch shell (Strombus gigas).
  • noun a mythical fountain whose waters were fabled to have the property of renewing youth.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun originally A spring, natural source of water.
  • noun An artificial, usually ornamental, water feature (usually in a garden or public place) consisting of one or more streams of water originating from a statue or other structure.
  • noun The structure from which an artificial fountain issues
  • noun A reservoir from which liquid can be drawn.
  • noun A source, origin of a flow (e.g. of favors, of knowledge).
  • noun A juggling pattern typically done with an even number of props where each prop is caught by the same hand that thows it.
  • noun US A soda fountain.
  • verb To flow or gush as if from a fountain.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a natural flow of ground water
  • noun a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises
  • noun an artificially produced flow of water
  • noun a plumbing fixture that provides a flow of water

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French fontaine, from Late Latin fontāna, from Latin, feminine of fontānus, of a spring, from fōns, font-, spring.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English; from Old French fontaine (=modern); from Late Latin fontana, from Latin fontanus, fontaneus, adjectives from fons ("spring, source")

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Examples

  • Really, this fountain is a stunning and visually dramatic focal point for any room in your home or office.

    Indoor Waterfalls and Fountains 2009

  • I don't think the toilet meant to scare them, but you have to admit that a giant toilet appearing out of nowhere and running through the fountain is a bit weird.

    Boing Boing 2009

  • “I’ll meet you at the fountain,” she said, making even the word fountain sound dirty.

    Run Francine Pascal 2001

  • “I’ll meet you at the fountain,” she said, making even the word fountain sound dirty.

    Run Francine Pascal 2001

  • “I’ll meet you at the fountain,” she said, making even the word fountain sound dirty.

    Run Francine Pascal 2001

  • The lake that the fountain is on is right next to the Persian Gulf.

    The Dubai Fountain 2009

  • The lake that the fountain is on is right next to the Persian Gulf.

    The Dubai Fountain » E-Mail 2009

  • Cleaning a chocolate fountain is a night mare believe me, after owning one you would really appreciate such a feature.

    Nostalgia Stainless | SciFi, Fantasy & Horror Collectibles 2009

  • As the animosity fountain is freely flowing, shouldn't someone at least raise their cup and a kind word for the four dedicated police officers.

    HuckPAC coordinator steps down, citing clemency decision 2009

  • June 14, 2009 at 5: 55 pm | Reply talk about thinking outside the box – that barbecue sauce fountain is an ingenious use of the fountain.

    A 2009 Big Apple BBQ Block Party Montage 2009

Comments

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  • The Fountain feeds both

    Swamp and Brook,

    but most have the former

    for the latter mistook.

    January 5, 2007

  • A type of fireworks

    Single tube fountains consist of a cardboard tube (which may be inside of a cone) that stands vertically on a plastic base. The tube is charged with a composition designed to make lots of sparks, flame, and gas. At the end of the tube there is a clay plug with a hole drilled into it, forming what is known as a "choke". Without a choke, the fountain would only give off a weak spray of sparks. With a choke, however, a lot of pressure builds up inside of the tube, which forces the gas and sparks out of the fountain with a much greater velocity. Very small fountain tubes (i.e., 1/4 in diameter) don't require chokes.

    The fountain composition is often layered as to produce different effects at different stages in the burning. For instance, one layer may burn to produce orange sparks, followed by a layer that produces white sparks and green star fragments.

    pyrouniverse.com

    February 18, 2008

  • In Heraldry: A roundel, barry wavy of six argent and azure, or more rarely having a greater number of barrulets. --Century Dictionary

    October 5, 2011