fountain

1 of 2

noun

foun·​tain ˈfau̇n-tᵊn How to pronounce fountain (audio)
1
: the source from which something proceeds or is supplied
2
: a spring of water issuing from the earth
3
: an artificially produced jet of water
also : the structure from which it rises
4
: a reservoir containing a liquid that can be drawn off as needed
5

fountain

2 of 2

verb

fountained; fountaining; fountains

intransitive verb

: to flow or spout like a fountain

transitive verb

: to cause to flow like a fountain

Examples of fountain in a Sentence

Noun The crowd gathered around the fountain in the plaza. an endless fountain of inspiration
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Hundreds of volcanoes erupting lava fountains that spew dozens of miles into the air are active on the rocky moon, which is terrorized by violent tidal forces that send molten lava spreading and hardening across its surface. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 Slicing through the capital, Paseo de la Reforma is a European-style gem, a leafy boulevard of graceful fountains and historic bronze statues. Luis Antonio Rojas, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 Before the war, the area abutting the school had been a little park, complete with burbling fountain. Sabra Ayres, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Her stern rose higher in the air and then was gone, sending a small fountain spray of sea water up toward the sky. Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024 Ever seductive, the Strip continues to tempt visitors with its unmatched indulgences: Win a fortune on black, fall in love by the fountains of the Bellagio, get married by Elvis—or snag a quickie divorce. Chris Carra, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Landscape designer and antiques dealer Stephen Block brought her vision to life, adding earthen pots, antique fountains and tropical elements that nod to the actor’s Colombian roots. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 6 Feb. 2024 The fountain operates from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. from mid-April to mic-October. Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2024 But for some Black Ellisville residents, the fountains still stir up painful memories of second-class citizenship. Rodney Coates, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
Rather than volcanic eruptions from a central peak, volcanoes of the Reykjanes often fountain from these fissures, creating floods of molten rock that look a bit like tiger stripes on a map. Maya Wei-Haas, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 Tucked between the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library and City Hall, Mineral Well Plaza will feature a 40-foot-tall clock tower and fountain with sculptures of lion heads, seating areas and landscaping. Dallas News, 15 Aug. 2022 Lava flow and fountain on Mt. Etna on January 12, 2011. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 13 Jan. 2011 These pens are usually exclusive to Japan, so to find it with an American retailer, and at a price point that isn’t inflated, is a nice surprise and the perfect entrée to fountain pens. Brett Braley, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2022 Last year, a 6-year-old boy in Lake Jackson, Texas, died after contracting the brain-eating amoeba that was found in the water of splash fountain the boy had played in. Amanda Jackson, CNN, 28 Sep. 2021 Explore Echo Park Lake’s signature lotus beds and fountain on a swan pedal boat. Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2020 Coke is also planning to halt retail-store sales of Hubert’s Lemonade, limiting the brand to fountain machines only, the spokeswoman said. Jennifer Maloney, WSJ, 4 Oct. 2020 Starting May 3, Kilauea has fountained lava and flung ash and rocks from its summit, destroying hundreds of homes, closing key highways, and prompting health warnings. Sophia Yan and Malcolm Ritter, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fountain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French funtaine, fontaine, from Late Latin fontana, from Latin, feminine of fontanus of a spring, from font-, fons

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1903, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of fountain was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fountain

Cite this Entry

“Fountain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fountain. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fountain

noun
foun·​tain
ˈfau̇nt-ᵊn
1
: a spring of water coming from the earth
2
: the source from which something comes
a fountain of knowledge
3
: an artificial stream or spray of water (as for drinking or ornament)
also : the device from which such a stream or spray rises
Etymology

Noun

Middle English fountain "fountain," from early French funtaine (same meaning), derived from Latin font-, fons "fountain, spring" — related to font entry 1

More from Merriam-Webster on fountain

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