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foun·tain

(fountən)

a. An artificially created jet or stream of water.

b. A structure, often decorative, from which a jet or stream of water issues.

2. A spring, especially the source of a stream.

3. A reservoir or chamber containing a supply of liquid that can be siphoned off as needed.

4. A soda fountain.

5. A drinking fountain.

6. A point of origin or dissemination; a source: the library, a fountain of information.

intr. & tr.v. foun·tained, foun·tain·ing, foun·tains

To flow or cause to flow like a fountain.

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

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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