1. fountain(n = noun.artifact) - a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises;
is a kind of construction, structure
has particulars: bubbler, drinking fountain, water fountain
2. fountain(n = noun.object) natural spring, outflow, outpouring, spring - a natural flow of ground water;
is a kind of formation, geological formation
has particulars: fountain of youth, geyser, hot spring, thermal spring
3. fountain(n = noun.artifact) jet - an artificially produced flow of water;
is a kind of flow, flowing
4. fountain(n = noun.artifact) fount - a plumbing fixture that provides a flow of water;
is a kind of plumbing fixture
1. A spring of water issuing from the earth. [1913 Webster]
2. 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. [1913 Webster]
3. A reservoir or chamber to contain a liquid which can be conducted or drawn off as needed for use; as, the ink fountain in a printing press, etc. [1913 Webster]
4. The source from which anything proceeds, or from which anything is supplied continuously; origin; source. [1913 Webster]
"Judea, the fountain of the gospel." [1913 Webster]
"Author of all being,
Fountain of light, thyself invisible." [1913 Webster]
fountain, n.
1 a a jet or jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or for drinking. b a structure provided for this.
2 a structure for the constant public supply of drinking-water.
3 a natural spring of water.
4 a source (in physical or abstract senses).
5 = soda-fountain.
6 a reservoir for oil, ink, etc.
Idiom:
fountain-head an original source. fountain-pen a pen with a reservoir or cartridge holding ink.
Derivative:
fountained adj. (also in comb.).
Etymology:
ME f. OF fontaine f. LL fontana fem. of L fontanus (adj.) f. fons fontis a spring
N store, stock, fund, mine, vein, lode, quarry, spring, fount, fountain, well, wellspring, milch cow, stock in trade, supply, heap, treasure, reserve, corps de reserve, reserved fund, nest egg, savings, bonne bouche, crop, harvest, mow, vintage, store, accumulation, hoard, rick, stack, lumber, relay, storehouse, storeroom, storecloset, depository, depot, cache, repository, reservatory, repertory, repertorium, promptuary, warehouse, entrepot, magazine, buttery, larder, spence, garner, granary, cannery, safe-deposit vault, stillroom, thesaurus, bank, armory, arsenal, dock, gallery, museum, conservatory, menagery, menagerie, reservoir, cistern, aljibar, tank, pond, mill pond, gasometer, budget, quiver, bandolier, portfolio, coffer, conservation, storing, storage, keep, file (papers), lay in, preserve, Adj, stored, in store, in reserve, in ordinary, spare, supernumerary, adde parvum parvo magnus acervus erit.
N cause, origin, source, principle, element, occasioner, prime mover, primum mobile, vera causa, author, mainspring, agent, leaven, groundwork, foundation, spring, fountain, well, font, fountainhead, spring head, wellhead, fons et origo, genesis, descent, remote cause, influence, pivot, hinge, turning point, lever, crux, fulcrum, key, proximate cause, causa causans, straw that breaks the camel's back, ground, reason, reason why, why and wherefore, rationale, occasion, derivation, final cause, les dessous des cartes, undercurrents, rudiment, egg, germ, embryo, bud, root, radix radical, etymon, nucleus, seed, stem, stock, stirps, trunk, tap-root, gemmule, radicle, semen, sperm, nest, cradle, nursery, womb, nidus, birthplace, hotbed, causality, causation, origination, production, caused, causal, original, primary, primitive, primordial, aboriginal, protogenal, radical, embryonic, embryotic, in embryo, in ovo, seminal, germinal, at the bottom of, connate, having a common origin, because, behind the scenes, causa latet vis est notissima, felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.
N river, running water, jet, spirt, spurt, squirt, spout, spray, splash, rush, gush, jet d'eau, sluice, water spout, water fall, cascade, force, foss, lin, linn, ghyll, Niagara, cataract, rapids, white water, catadupe, cataclysm, debacle, inundation, deluge, chute, washout, rain, rainfall, serein, shower, scud, downpour, driving rain, drenching rain, cloudburst, hyetology, hyetography, predominance of Aquarius, reign of St. Swithin, mizzle, drizzle, stillicidum, plash, dropping, falling weather, northeaster, hurricane, typhoon, stream, course, flux, flow, profluence, effluence, defluxion, flowing, current, tide, race, coulee, spring, artesian well, fount, fountain, rill, rivulet, gill, gullet, rillet, streamlet, brooklet, branch, runnel, sike, burn, beck, creek, brook, bayou, stream, river, reach, tributary, geyser, spout, waterspout, body of water, torrent, rapids, flush, flood, swash, spring tide, high tide, full tide, bore, tidal bore, eagre, hygre, fresh, freshet, indraught, reflux, undercurrent, eddy, vortex, gurge, whirlpool, Maelstrom, regurgitation, overflow, confluence, corrivation, wave, billow, surge, swell, ripple, anerythmon gelasma, beach comber, riffle, rollers, ground swell, surf, breakers, white horses, whitecaps, rough sea, heavy sea, high seas, cross sea, long sea, short sea, chopping sea, hydrodynamics, hydraulics, hydraulicostatics, rain gauge, flowmeter, pegology, irrigation, pump, watering pot, watering cart, hydrant, syringe, garden hose, lawn spray, bhisti, mussuk, fluent, diffluent, profluent, affluent, tidal, flowing, meandering, meandry, meandrous, fluvial, fluviatile, streamy, showery, rainy, pluvial, stillicidous, stillatitious, for men may come and men may go but I go on foreve, that old man river, he just keeps rolling along.
drinking fountain, fountain grass, fountain of youth, fountain pen, soda fountain, water fountain