wellspring

1 a point or place at which something is invented or provided the nation's colleges and universities were a wellspring for political activism and unrest Synonyms cradle, font, fountain, fountainhead, origin, root, seedbed, spring, well, sourceRelated Words beginning, commencement, dawn, day one, genesis, get-go (also git-go), inception, incipience, incipiency, kickoff, launch, morning, nascence, nascency, onset, outset, start, threshold; baseline, first base, ground zero, square one

2 an abundant source a gossip who is a wellspring of juicy information about the latest goings-on around town Synonyms argosy, cornucopia, gold mine, mother lode, treasure trove, mineRelated Words armory, repository, stockpot, store, storehouse, treasure-house; cache, hoard, stash; bonanza, Golconda, gravy train, honeypotNear Antonyms black hole, sinkhole